Artists and their poor: economic and symbolic inequality in distorted China's post-pandemic art subsidy policies

This study conducted a three-year longitudinal follow-up interview with 37 extras in the Hengdian World Studio in China from 2022 to 2024, examining the impact of post-pandemic cultural subsidy policies on their living conditions. We aim to highlight that these extras struggle between the identities of creative actors and underclass workers, enduring symbolic violence due to the identity distinction. Furthermore, we point out that the systemic inequalities stemming from this identity distinction prevent these groups from receiving adequate subsidies and accessing protests. Finally, we call for the democratization and inclusivity of the artist identity to deepen the discussion of Basic Income for Artists (BIA) policies.