Act now to prevent culture sector collapse, say MPs
The government should take immediate action to protect the UK’s cultural and sporting sectors, the parliamentary Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee warned today.
In a letter to culture secretary Oliver Dowden, lawmakers urged officials to use the pause created by the latest Covid-19 restrictions to implement a number of recommendations that would enable venues and stadiums to plan a return of audiences to capacity when it is safe to do so.
In 2018, the cultural sector contributed £32.3bn to the UK economy, but MPs warned that many venues simply were not viable under current social distancing rules.
Composer Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber has warned that the sector is at the “point of no return”, with more closures expected unless solutions are found.
Committee chair Julian Knight said: “We recognise that rising cases of Covid-19 mean that plans for a limited return of crowds to sporting events have to be put on hold.
“However this has created an opportunity for ministers to develop a robust strategy that will allow for the safe return of audiences to events – particularly in our theatres and performance venues – when the time is right.
“We know that without the ability to get in audiences in greater numbers, many theatres simply can’t afford to keep running. The collapse of such vital pillars in our cultural landscape would be devastating”.
Specifically, the letter called for ministers to publish a “no earlier than” date for stage five of its reopening plan, with at least three months notice.
Stage five on the government’s roadmap to reopening marks the point at which performances can take place indoors with fuller audiences.
When it unveiled the plan back in June, it came under criticism for failing to lay out time scales for each of the steps.
In addition, the committee called for greater clarity on the public health requirements for such a step to be taken, as well as the testing measures required for venues to open without social distancing.
Knight had already called for an extension of the furlough scheme for those arts and leisure venues that have been unable to fully reopen.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is due to unveil a new set of measures, dubbed his “winter economy plan” tomorrow, but has warned that a wholesale extension of the furlough scheme is unlikely to be included.