We're in daily contact with Ministers, feeding into guidance for safe reopening and ensuring your voice is heard in Government. Photo credit: Shutterstock
We’re calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to consider a sector specific financial support package for the arts and culture sector based on the German model.
In a letter to Sunak, the MU explains 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.
Write to your MP asking them to support our call
Here's a template letter to get your started. Remember to include your full address including postcode, whether you're a member or supporter of the MU, and why protecting arts and culture matters to you.
Not sure what your MP's email is? You can find it via Parliament's 'Find your MP' tool.
You can still write to your MP if you have no fixed address. Find out more on Parliament's website.
Dear... MP,
I am a constituent living at [your address]
I am writing as a Musicians' Union [member / supporter]. The MU represents 32,000 professional musicians working across all sectors of the UK music industry.
MU research shows that musicians lost over £21m in the first ten days of lockdown alone. Over 90% told the MU they had been affected.
Four months later, 38% musicians still do not qualify for Government support and 19% are considering abandoning music altogether.
Virtually everyone else can go back to work in some form. But the live music scene has been temporarily wiped out with no return date any time soon.
Given the usual £5.2bn economic contribution of the music industry to the UK economy, not to mention the cultural contribution musicians make, it is vital that musicians are able to survive the pandemic.
Please urge the Chancellor to consider a sector specific financial support package for musicians and other performers and creators.
Financial support is one of our key lobbying asks
MU General Secretary Horace Trubridge is in daily contact with Ministers, feeding into guidance for safe reopening and ensuring your voice is heard in Government.
As well as financial support, we're calling on Government to:
- Close the gaps in the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS)
- Extend support for arts, culture and entertainment workers after October
- Support safe ways of working like live music events with social distancing applied
- Cover shortfalls in ticket money due to social distancing so that theatres and venues survive
- Undertake a government review of streaming royalty distribution
Read more in our latest lobbying update, and sign the petition calling for a Government review into streaming.