France takes their art quite seriously, we can be safe to say. That being the case, actors, musicians, and artists have quite a special situation in France, which is quite beneficial for their art; as the government allows them to receive an income through the unemployment fund in France.

This specific status is called “intermittence,” and it provides them with advantageous benefits. To claim this unemployment financial help, an artist must work a minimum of hours within ten months (it used to be one year, but has recently changed). Once the artist has met this hour threshold, the unemployment fund (ASSEDIC) will pay the artist the following year for the value of the work he or she accomplished.

For example, if the artist worked for La Comédie Française, he or she will get more money then if he or she had worked for a local theatre. That income is a monthly salary calculated on the number of hours the artist worked and how much the artist’s employer paid him or her during those ten months.

So in France, an artist’s income comes from both the institution or company that employed him or her and the government.
This special status considers that artists’ work is quite unstable and this particular profession can undergo irregular periods of work. This status is meant to maintain creation, support art, and allow artists to be freed from trivial circumstances. By living in this secure status, the artist can freely create and be more productive.

What do you think of these measures? Are they very different from your country of origin? Nevertheless, it does make for the opportunity for us to enjoy the work of these artists!