Musicians working in Covid-19 secure workplaces that are sticking to Government guidance and precautions are fine to proceed. Photo credit: Shutterstock
For musicians working in England and Scotland, the key new restrictions are:
- From Thursday 24 September, pubs, bars and restaurants must close at 10:00 pm
- People who can work at home should do so.
- From the 28 September the number of attendees at a Wedding and/or Wedding Reception has been reduced to 15, however anyone working – including musicians – are not included in this number.
- In Scotland the number of Wedding attendess continues to be restricted to 20 – those numbers include musicians and anyone else booked by the wedding party, but do not include venue staff (e.g. waiters or bartenders).
- In Wales there is no limit on the number who can attend a Wedding ceremony, up to the capacity of the venue given social distancing requirements. However Wedding receptions in Wales are limited to 30, although staff and third party suppliers aren’t included in this limit.
Areas in Wales under local lockdown will have different rules, and you should check the Welsh Government's website for the latest information.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have also barred residents from hosting people in their own household or visiting others’ homes. This rule is already in place in Northern Ireland, and will be active in Scotland from tomorrow.
However, schools in England and Scotland are remaining open and people who cannot work from home are still being encouraged to go into work, so musicians working in Covid-19 secure workplaces that are sticking to Government guidance and precautions are fine to proceed.
Today’s announcement, though, is further unwelcome news for the live gigging sector and makes it clearer than ever that urgent financial support will be needed for musicians and other freelancers.
Government must support musicians during the pandemic
Our latest Covid-19 Impact Poll reveals that 34% are considering abandoning their career in music, while 37% are not sure.
The poll also reveals:
- 36% musicians do not have any work at all right now
- 65% musicians are facing financial hardship
- 87% musicians will be facing financial hardship as a result of the Government’s income support schemes ending in October
Take Action Now
Join our urgent call to the Government to do more, in order to safeguard the future of the UK’s music culture and industry – ask your MP to make your voice heard in Parliament.
You can use our template letter if you’re not sure what to say. Remember to include how you are affected too – personal stories make all the difference.
Write to your MP now.