A new artists’ union of Ireland has been launched. Launched as a trade union today (March 30th) Praxis was initially founded a year ago by a group of artists who came together to create a united democratic representation for their trade. A year on, 400 artists have expressed an interest in membership. The union aims to unite artists working across all disciplines, including visual art, theatre, literature, comedy, dance, circus, and craft, among others, to improve their living and working conditions. A central concern early on is the Arts Council of Ireland’s funding process, which has drawn considerable criticism from the Irish…