“This inquiry is a call for artists to unionise and recognise the power of organising together as workers. The AUE membership data reflects the dire material conditions artists are dealing with as low-waged and self-employed workers in a society that has systematically dismantled the social safety net.
These conditions can only be overturned by collective action, not by ‘asking nicely’ or pursuing individual success. It is time for artists everywhere to take their place in the labour movement and join the fight for public luxury, of which art is a crucial component.”