Timothy Spall, Shaan Sahota, Universal Basic Income for artists

To play the celebrated British painter, J.M.W. Tuner, for Mike Leigh’s film, Mr Turner, the actor Timothy Spall learned to paint. Four years later, it was the paintings he created while playing the role of another famous British painter, LS Lowry, that led to his first commission for an exhibition of his own paintings. Timothy joins Front Row to talk about finding his own style as a painter.

As a junior doctor and playwright, Shaan Sahota has a unique perspective on the past 18 months. In her new play Under the Mask, she has distilled her experience as a frontline doctor at the height of the pandemic into a 60 minute audio installation. She joins us to discuss the work, writing as therapy and experimenting with 3D binaural sound.

Irish Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD has proposed a basic income guarantee for artists. She explains the details for the pilot scheme, what it would cost, who would be eligible and how much they’d get.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Simon Richardson