Arts Council England advises arts organisations in event of no-deal Brexit

  • Published
    Wed, Feb 13, 2019, 09:30
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  • The document raises numerous questions for the future of creative ties between the EU and UK.
  • Arts Council England advises arts organisations in event of no-deal Brexit image
  • Arts Council England has published a guide designed to help arts and cultural organisations prepare for a no-deal scenario in the lead-up to Brexit. The document attempts to provide information about Brexit's ramifications for groups working in the arts, including changes to funding streams and freedom of movement. While various aspects of the music industry overlap with this sector, the document is also geared to help everything from art galleries to museums and libraries. The document begins by saying that the UK government will attempt to cover income lost by cultural groups that successfully bid for EU arts funding before 2020—raising the question of whether it is financially capable of replacing influential programmes like Creative Europe. Between 2014 and 2017, UK cultural organisations received €18.7 million from Creative Europe's Culture sub-programme alone. Campaigns such as London venue Village Underground and the PRS Foundations' Keychange initiative, which seeks to address gender disparity in festival bookings, are two examples of Creative Europe funding recipients. In the event of a no-deal, organisations are encouraged to "consider modelling the impact that changes might have… and how you might respond to those scenarios." Later, the document states that any organisation with European staff should urge them to sign up for a new settlement scheme, which opens on March 30th this year and closes June 30th, 2021. This includes non-nationals born in the UK as well as EU citizens married to a British citizen. Another factor potentially affecting creative industries is the revelation that prospective immigrants must earn over £30,000 a year to be eligible for a visa, a sum higher than the national average and many positions in creative fields. The paper encourages employers to "consider what impact this may have on your staff and the support you can offer EU employees in the event of a no-deal." Artists touring in the EU will be subject to Schengen Zone conventions, while organisations are told to "evaluate the impact of goods or items being delayed at borders and consider ways to minimise reliance on these routes." Copyright and intellectual property rights will also be thrown up in the air, with the document recommending organisations seek legal advice regarding how a no-deal scenario would effect working with European artists. Read more about the music industry's reaction to the proposed "skills-based" immigration policy behind Brexit.
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