Dr Tarja Cronberg has explored ways of improving the livelihood of people working in the creative industries. Her report states that Finnish artists only make half of their living from their work, while the level in the rest of the Nordic countries is 70 per cent. Artists should be able to earn 70 per cent of their living through art by the year 2020. This could be achieved by increasing the amount of subsidies and by raising the amount of income earned from art that is exempt from VAT. Art acquisitions by organisations should be made tax exempt and this will increase the public for art.

Unemployment benefit for artists would be replaced, according to the proposal, with an employment subsidy of an amount equivalent to labour market subsidy, which would be applied for in a similar way to business start-up allowance.

http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Tiedotteet/composite_news_bulletins/2010/august.html?lang=en