The £1 billion support package for COVID affected businesses offers no assistance to artists or industry professionals.
The British Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, brought forward the plan for a £1billion COVID support package yesterday.
A statement has already been issued by The Music Managers Forum (MMF) and the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) which expresses significant concern for the British music industry amidst what they refer to as a “lockdown by stealth“.
The joint statement details that they are “massively concerned” that these new measures, introduced yesterday, provide “nothing for artists and live industry professionals” who are being severely affected in this “lockdown by stealth“.
Furthermore, they say that “Artists currently find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place – encouraged by the Government to carry on performing, while their audiences are advised to stay at home.”
The lack of a safety net is putting the already fragile industry, ravaged as it has been throughout the COVID epoch, in serious threat.
ICYMI "We're going through a desperate situation because the messaging from Government means that audiences aren't showing up."
UK Music Chief Executive @jnjokugoodwin on @BBCRadio4 discussing the impact of Omicron on the music industry. https://t.co/Grishj69kA (35:38) pic.twitter.com/4hgCNfLE9R
— UK Music (@UK_Music) December 21, 2021
The joint statement continues that, “While the package announced today may help some venues and institutions, it is essential this is also made available to those appearing on the stage or working behind it.”
The Music Industry Trust has also referred to the new COVID financial action as a “woefully inadequate response to the reality of the position“.
A recent report revealed that up to 40% of British music fans have not turned up to gigs lately amidst rising COVID cases.
The UK’s music industry contributes over £5bn to the economy and live music is its heart and soul, we’re calling on the Government to help our industry and protect jobs and the live music scene #letthemusicplay 📸: @neilbedford pic.twitter.com/uZGxP56cqS
— KasabianHQ (@KasabianHQ) July 2, 2020
Dave Keighley, chairman of the Production Services Association, has said that “Almost 90% of planning for events in the new year has been postponed, because people don’t want to spend their time doing that and then find out that we’re in another lockdown come January.”
The economic support measures initiated by this conservative government signify a further threat to the already wounded British music industry. In what has become a typically conservative response, resemblant of Australia’s economic COVID support policy, grassroots music has been completely ignored as an integral part of the culture.
To that end, this excerpt from the joint statement is especially poignant, “We note that grassroots music venues, singled out by the government for specific restrictions since the start of the crisis, are not even mentioned in today’s statement which once again focuses on ‘theatres, orchestras and museum’ who will be supported ‘through until March 2022’ .”
Basically, it sounds like a shit deal for musos in the UK and it’s not much better here in Aus.
