A return of the UK’s thriving theatre industry, which is a cause for celebration and national pride, is under threat without vital Government support.
With 53% of theatre musicians ineligible for the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and 83% of musicians unaware of a restart date for the production on which they are working, the future for UK theatre musicians is looking increasingly bleak.
In fact, over three in four theatre musicians (77%) report that they are likely to be in financial hardship if they are unable to return to work until September.
The call for vital Government support for this key part of our cultural offering is becoming ever more urgent, as producers, performers and theatre audiences alike join forces in voicing their concern for the immediate and long-term future of UK theatre, both in the West End and across the UK.
Musicians on the financial and mental strain the threat to theatre is causing
Matthew West, West End percussionist and Chair of the MU Theatre Section, describes the mental and financial challenge that theatre musicians are facing right now – and how the important role that theatre plays in our communities is under threat:
“I’m a musician, I’ve been a musician all my life and have worked in a thriving British theatre industry for many years. On Monday 16 March all that stopped. I cannot work. There is no work. Not for any theatre musician anywhere.
“We don’t know when we can work again or what will greet us when we do. After devoting your entire life to this craft, the mental repercussions are incredibly challenging. But then there is the financial situation.
“While the self-employed assistance was useful, too many fell through the gaping cracks and the uncertainty surrounding the scheme gives no security. And what will greet us the other end? The theatre is there to lift people’s spirits, to give them enjoyment, to bring them together. How we can we do that if there is no theatre industry left.”
Jennah Smart, flautist and touring theatre musician, explains the present and threatening prospect of financial hardship, should Government support not change:
“It is now more important than ever that we protect and support the livelihood of all musicians, so we can continue to make music when this crisis is over.
“There is no time stamp on when our jobs will be safe to return to, particularly those who work in the theatre sector, where I am currently stationed, therefore we should be looked after until it is safe to do so.
“I am self-employed. Fortunately, I qualify for the SEISS scheme, however this only covers me until June. If I can’t return back to work in September or indeed for the rest of the year because the theatres are still closed due to the coronavirus, I will most certainly undergo hardship, which will not only have an effect on me financially, but in a mental capacity also. It is a terrifying prospect.
“At this time, musicians are feeling threatened by the complete loss of income and are trying to deal with the probability that everything we have worked so hard for over our entire lives is potentially at an end.”
Government support will be vital
Naomi Pohl, MU Deputy General Secretary, described the need for the Government to act urgently:
“Organisations in the arts sector are working tirelessly and collaboratively on plans to reopen to the public. There are many challenges for live performance and, of course, ensuring the safety of workers and audiences is of paramount importance.
Meanwhile, our members who were engaged on musicals at the time of the COVID-19 closure face months, possibly a full year, without work. The results of our latest survey are absolutely devastating.
“We need the Government to urgently fill in the gaps of the self-employed income support scheme to ensure all our members are able to access it. The theatre industry will also need additional subsidy and support as it plans for a phased reopening.”
Whilst Jamie Pullman, MU London Regional Organiser, explained the economic impact of the theatre industry:
“It’s extremely important that the Government support the theatre industry until it is able to return to work as usual. Theatres generated a lot of work for musicians and tax income for the treasury, but they are hugely dependent on large tourist audiences at one end of the spectrum, and grants at the other end.
“The subsidised part of the sector feeds ideas and talent through, creating a flow that this crisis threatens to bring to an end.
“If the Government want to see a return to the thriving theatre industry that was a cause for celebration and national pride, they must support it wholeheartedly and generously in the coming months.”
Take Action Now
The Self Employment Income Support Scheme, the Government’s support for freelancers, comes to an end in June. We urge the Government to continue to provide SEISS until at least October.
Add your voice to our call, write to Rishi now.