We are urging the Chancellor to consider a sector specific financial support package for musicians and other performers and creators. Photo credit: Shutterstock
During Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons today, Bambos Charalambous MP (Enfield, Southgate, Labour) said the Chicken Shed Theatre in his constituency was struggling financially.
He asked the PM to heed the calls from the MU, Bectu and Equity to provide the financial support needed to ensure the survival of the arts sector.
Boris Johnson replied that the government would do everything it could to assist. The economic case for doing so was overwhelming. He called on employers to continue supporting workers. He stated that with the furlough scheme, it was better to wait for times to get better than to lay people off.
Calling on Rishi Sunak to reflect Johnson’s statement in the budget
Following Boris Johnson’s response, we have written a further letter to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, re-emphasising the music industries need for sector specific support, ahead of his next budget related announcement next week.
In the letter we have emphasised how the live music scene has been temporarily wiped out by social distancing, and how the latest advice – which states that pubs can reopen but with no live entertainment – is devastating for grassroots music venues and musicians.
We have urged the Chancellor to consider a sector specific financial support package for musicians and other performers and creators. And reminded him that it is vital that our members are able to survive this closure period, given the usual £5.2bn economic contribution of the music industry to the UK economy, not to mention the cultural contribution musicians make.
Take action now
Ask your MP to support a sector specific financial support package to protect our vital cultural assets – and the musicians who work in them.
Take action now, you can use our template letter to get yourself started.