Reactions to the support package for the arts

06 July 2020 - Press release

UK Music Acting CEO Tom Kiehl:
“A £1.57bn support package for the arts is a huge step forward and should be a lifesaver for many music venues. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and DCMS Minister Caroline Dinenage are to be warmly congratulated. “The music industry was one of the first sectors to be hit by measures to tackle COVID-19.

“UK Music has long called for sector specific support to ensure live music can recover. Eligibility for grants and loans must be as broad as possible to ensure maximum take up from across the industry from those in desperate need of help.

“Those that don’t have a track record of public funding must also not be put at a disadvantage. We are seeking urgent talks with Arts Council England to discuss further.”

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Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI & BRIT Awards:
"We are delighted that the Government has recognised the special importance of the arts and creativity – including music - to our national life. We warmly welcome specific mention of our cherished music venues, and to support for the arts, which should also assist our classical music sector. The live music industry, and the artist community that it supports, has felt the full, devastating force of the Covid-19 emergency and grassroots venues urgently require support if the UK is to retain its exceptional local music scene and continue to produce world-beating artists. We look forward to further discussing how the funds will be allocated."

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Annabella Coldrick, CEO, Music Managers Forum:

"After months of discussions, meetings and advocacy, culminating in the Let The Music Play campaign last Thursday, it's good news that Government has accepted the importance of art and culture to our society and economy. Obviously £1.57bn is a substantial sum of money, but we still need to see the full details of this package and how it will be allocated to reach those most in need. It is absolutely essential that funding stretches beyond cultural institutions and can equally benefit artists and their teams around the UK, many of whom have fallen through gaps in support despite seeing a complete collapse in their live income."

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Mark Davyd, Music Venue Trust:
"Music Venue Trust warmly welcomes this unprecedented intervention into Britain's world-class live music scene. We'd like to thank the Secretary Of State and the team at DCMS for the opportunity to work closely together throughout this crisis to develop genuine solutions to the challenges faced by grassroots music venues. This fund provides the opportunity to stabilise and protect our vibrant and vital network of venues and gives us the time we need to create a plan to safely re-open live music".

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AIM CEO, Paul Pacifico:
“We’re delighted to see the Government recognise the importance of a sector-specific intervention for arts and culture, but we remain vigilant and will keep up pressure to ensure that much needed funds get to the whole spectrum of organisations that need them most. The Arts Council must take this unique opportunity to assess who it reaches and how, and AIM looks forward to being a positive contributor to that discussion.”

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