Feminist Economics Framework Proposed for Artworld by Alternative School of Economics

Ruth Beale and Amy Feneck from The Alternative School of Economics promote feminist economics within the art sector. Their podcast, True Currency, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, examines how care labor's economic significance has been rendered invisible, a situation worsened by the UK Home Office's visa restrictions on low-wage workers. They utilize JK Gibson-Graham's iceberg metaphor to illustrate the foundational role of unpaid reproductive labor in the economy, emphasizing the art industry's dependence on undercompensated work. Mierle Laderman Ukeles's 1979 performance highlighted the contributions of sanitation workers. Initiatives like Mother House Studios in South London and CASCO in the Netherlands exemplify practical efforts. The Alternative School also organizes workshops at children's centers to address mothers' economic contributions, referencing works like Kate Rowarth's Doughnut Economics and Sarah Jaffe's Work Won't Love You Back.