Labour vows to fix touring and put Scotland’s creative industries centre stage
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Labour is today committing to fix issues caused by
the Conservative UK Government’s approach to visa and touring
issues to ensure that the hosting major events in Scotland and
Scotland’s thriving music and cultural sector are not put at risk.
On a visit to Scotland Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Lucy Powell MP will say that
hosting major events like the Festivals and cycling world
championships this week, are not only...Request free trial
Labour is today committing to fix issues caused by the Conservative UK Government’s approach to visa and touring issues to ensure that the hosting major events in Scotland and Scotland’s thriving music and cultural sector are not put at risk. On a visit to Scotland Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Lucy Powell MP will say that hosting major events like the Festivals and cycling world championships this week, are not only important to local economies but also boost trade and tourism throughout the year and are critical to Scotland’s reputation as a creative and cultural powerhouse. Yet, despite the creative sectors’ strengths, organisations including the Edinburgh Festivals have long argued that the UK government’s approach to visitors visas for touring artists and sportspeople are flawed particularly after Brexit and the Conservatives failure to unblock problems with touring in Europe means that creative talent is missing out on work abroad, or having to deal with more barriers to perform and trade, and the UK’s reputation as a creative powerhouse is under threat. In contrast, Lucy Powell MP will underline Labour’s commitment to fix touring, pushing for a visa waiver for touring artists with the EU alongside negotiating an EU-wide cultural touring agreement – including allowances for cabotage, carnets and custom rules to break down barriers, open up opportunity, and grow the creative economy. Whilst the Conservatives and SNP squabble, Labour will make this a priority for the next Labour government giving Scotland access to cultural opportunities in Europe and opening up Scotland to European artists. Scotland’s creative industries contribute more than £5 billion to the economy every year employing 90,000 people, more than the energy sector. Across the UK the creative economy the sector was growing at four times the rate of the UK economy and creating jobs at three times the UK average before the pandemic. Labour has pledged to put the creative and cultural sectors at the heart of its missions for growth and opportunity to ensure that creatives are a leading light of economic growth, and that the creative sectors open up to fully represent the diversity of modern Britain with opportunities for all young people, not just the privileged few. Labour’s Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell MP said: “Our creative industries are vital to Labour’s economic growth mission, yet for too long they’ve been left out of the limelight by Conservative and SNP government’s too busy causing chaos to deliver for Scotland and the UK. “Working in partnership with Scottish Labour the next Labour government will put our creative and cultural sectors centre stage, fixing touring so Scottish creatives can work in Europe again hassle-free and promoting Scotland’s rich cultural heritage to the world.” Ends
Notes to Editors Lucy Powell will host a roundtable alongside Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar MSP in Edinburgh with Scottish cultural and creative sector leaders before campaigning in Rutherglen and visiting the Cycling World Championships in Glasgow. Scotland’s creative industries
Creative Scotland reports that 90,000 people are employed in
Scotland’s Creative Industries with the Scottish Creative
Industries now larger than Life Sciences and sustainable tourism
in terms of GVA (Gross Value Added), employing more people than
the Energy sector.
The creative industries are an UK economic powerhouse. The UK’s
creative industries were worth more than £115bn to the UK economy
before the pandemic, more than the aerospace, life sciences and
automotive industries combined. The creative industries make up
as many as one in eight businesses across the country, supporting
3.5 million jobs in the UK including in supply chains. The sector
was growing at four times the rate of the UK economy and creating
jobs at three times the UK average. Statistics - Creative UK
(wearecreative.uk) Labour’s Creative Compact Earlier this year Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell MP unveiled a Creative Compact to support and grow the UK’s creative industries. Labour’s Creative Compact will:
Touring problems · In 2021 musicians including Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Sting and Radiohead wrote to government calling for action on touring issues but this has not been resolved. Musicians 'failed by government' over EU touring, stars say - BBC News · In July 2022 Fergus Linehan, the outgoing director of the Edinburgh International Festival called post Brexit touring rules a “disaster”. Post-Brexit visa rules a ‘disaster’ for arts, says Edinburgh festival director | Brexit | The Guardian · There has long been reports of problems with visas for artists for cultural events including at the Edinburgh Book Festival in 2018 and Womad the same year. Home Office refuses visas for authors invited to Edinburgh book festival | Edinburgh international book festival | The Guardian Labour’s pledge on touring
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