I spent a very enjoyable evening yesterday chairing an expert panel discussion called Unlock the Music, in Brighton. Wonderfully well organised by the European Movement it was sobering to hear of all the details, from musicians and industry experts, about how Brexit has damaged the UK’s preeminent music industry.
From classical to jazz and from chamber to touring super groups the industry is struggling with carnets, visas and cabotage problems that just throw red tape, delay and expense on performers. Many have stopped touring, just like many small companies have stopped exporting.
A new one for me was merchandise, which is often the difference between a profitable tour and a loss making one. This is now a minefield for groups because so much is made outside the UK and the EU and therefore taking it into the EU is often difficult and complicated.
But beyond that the real angst in the room was over the decline in music and the arts more generally especially in state schools. The UK is now producing fewer top musicians because “non essential” subjects like music have been cut to the bone and beyond.
Given the arts are a British export triumph, this shows once again that we are governed by those who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
From prison escapes, to crumbling schools, music teaching, hospital waiting lists and many many more, this government has been told by the experts time and time again that the long term price of spending cuts now is far outweighed by the future costs which are huge and irreversible.
It is no consolation that the government has been in power so long that those warnings are now coming true. They should have been heeded, but weren’t.
We are all going to be paying the price for that for decades to come.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media
We’re well past the ‘cheer up it may never happen’ phase. Things can only get better as someone once sang.