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One year on – Brexit Blues or Golden Fields of Opportunity? LIVE touring group chairman, Craig Stanley, reflects on the practical ramifications of Brexit and the ongoing battle to remove restrictions on crossing borders
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week is a long time in politics – a year is a lifetime. It has certainly felt like that in the past twelve months since the UK finally left the EU in January last year. Throughout that time, I have chaired a group of committed industry figures that make up the LIVE Touring Group. We have been unravelling what Brexit really means for the concert touring industry, working with government departments to make clear the consequences of our new relationship with Europe. Until now, the real implications have been masked by Covid-19 restrictions, and the full impact is only just beginning to be felt as we start touring once again. So, what has happened? What have we learnt? And more importantly, what hurdles remain for both sides of the Channel as we adjust to the new relationship? As Europe re-opens after Covid-19, the post-Brexit news isn’t all bad but, then again, it’s not all good – and it could be much better. The root of the issues can be traced back to the hastily negotiated Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) that, despite running to over 1,400 pages, barely mentions culture and entertainment. Lord Frost, the UK government’s lead negotiator, may have left, but the legacy of his oversight remains. Meeting other government officials re-enforced how little they know about how our industry works and the scale of our economic contribution. Happily, after a year of intense lobbying by LIVE and many other interest groups, the wheels of power have begun to turn, and the concerns of our sector are now firmly on the political radar. The UK’s live music industry is larger than the fishing and steel industries combined and eclipses all other industries in successfully exporting ‘Brand Britain’ to the world. In the UK, the sector provides employment for well over 200,000 people, of which more than 33,000 are reliant on international touring for their livelihoods. Brexit may be done; it now needs to be finessed so that it works for all. It is not only British musicians, suppliers and crews that will lose out – those on the continent will suffer
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too. European promoters rely on British bands, equipment, and technical expertise to deliver shows that fill concert venues and sell out festivals from Sicily to Helsinki. European music fans love British music, and the feeling is entirely mutual. All we want is to be able to keep this international collaboration alive and let the music play. Europeans have as much responsibility as their British colleagues to lobby their own governments to make things happen. When the UK left the EU, it lost its voice with European policy makers. European restrictions will only be lifted if European artists, businesses, and music fans make enough noise to get their politicians interested to bring about change. A case in point is the successful campaign waged by the UK industry, working in conjunction with their Spanish counterparts, which resulted in the Spanish government’s U-turn on their tough immigration stance on British nationals working in entertainment. Those restrictions were eventually lifted, paving the way for a litany of Spanish festivals and gigs to take place this summer featuring British artists. At the start of the year, the focus was firmly on the threat posed by post-Brexit immigration restrictions across the EU. The campaign by Carry On Touring demonstrated the depth of feeling across the sector, attracting well over a quarter of a million signatures to its petition for Europe-wide visa-free work permits for touring professionals and artists. This ‘ask’ remains firmly on the table, but the current frosty relationship between Westminster and Strasbourg suggests it may be a long road to implementation. Visa-free access was provided within the TCA for UK nationals going to the EU, and vice versa for Europeans coming to the UK. However, this visa-waiver came with a deadly catch. We are only allowed to spend 90 days in the EU within any 180-day period. Musicians and crews will no longer be able to move from one tour to the next if they exceed the 90day limit, especially as the limit includes down days and holidays spent in the EU. Thousands of The good news? Much uncertainty has now beenprofessionals reread
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