New Campaign Launches To Champion The Value Of Creative Labour

A new campaign is launching today, focusing on the worth of creative labour.

An email was sent out to all the members of parliament, inviting them to attend the launch of the campaign, entitled “Við Borgum Myndlistarmönnum” (in English: “We pay visual artists”). The launch is happening at 4pm today, at The Nordic House.

The purpose of the campaign is to bring to light the working conditions and undervaluing of creative labour suffered by Icelandic visual artists. The campaign wants to create a basic rate of pay for visual artists working in Iceland’s public sector, as well as protesting wider cuts to arts funding.

The campaign event will include the launch of a new website on the subject, www.vidborgummyndlistarmonnum.info, and will ask for a government contribution of 52 million ISK towards Iceland’s visual arts fund, and 10 million to the art monuments fund.

The chair of the parliamentary budget committee, Vigðis Hauksdóttir, was due to attend the event to take delivery of two petitions on the subject, but she since has pulled out.

The running order of speakers follows.

16:00 Jóna Hlíf Halldórsdóttir, Chair of SÍM, a short introductory speech.

16:10 Guðmundur Andri Thorsson, novellist.

16:20 Ósk Vilhjálmsdóttir, visual artist and the member of the Visuals Arts Comittee.

16:30 Ástríður Eggertsdóttir, Architect and member of Art Monuments Fund.

16:40 Jóna Hlíf Halldórsdóttir, closing statement.

16:50 Steinunn Eldflaug (aka DJ Flugvél og Geimskip), performs “sound work from space”.