The UK’s creative industries went into the COVID19 pandemic as world leaders, but without the necessary recovery support, they will emerge smaller, weaker and with lasting damage.
But with so much continuing uncertainty, the Government must do much more to prevent a cultural catastrophe and protect people’s livelihoods from the twin threats of COVID and Brexit.
The Government’s support package was welcome but the details remain unclear and still nothing has been done to help support the thousands of small businesses and freelancers who are excluded from government support schemes and have been left without a penny of income for at least four months.
UK festivals reach almost 5 million people a year. It’s not clear if they‘ll benefit from Govt’s rescue package; if not the £120m for govt’s 2022 Festival of Britain should be given to ALL the British festivals that need support now @UK_Music#festivals#LetTheMusicPlay 👇 pic.twitter.com/atA0Hd4rtI
— Daisy Cooper MP 🔶 (@libdemdaisy) July 7, 2020
The Liberal Democrat plan for the recovery and renewal of the creative industries shows the way forward for this vital part of our economy and society.
The Government must prevent a cultural catastrophe and protect people’s livelihoods
Amongst our various proposals on venues, theatres, the music, TV and film sectors, games industry, cultural learning, the performing arts and much more, our plan calls for:
- Creative industry workers to be included in government support schemes
- Reallocation of funds from 2022 “Brexit” Festival to existing festivals and events
- New creative industry training and vocational courses in hardest-hit parts of country
- Reforming the apprenticeship levy and scheme to support the creative industries
- Protecting the gold-standard intellectual and data property rights the industries currently enjoy in future trade deals
I will be urging the Culture Secretary to seriously consider these proposals.
There is still a lot of work for him to do if the creative industries are to survive and thrive.
Read the full plan here – Power of Creativity: Recovery and Renewal.