Today, Culture Secretary @OliverDowden takes questions in parliament on behalf of @DCMS. Last up, @JeffSmithetc will ask him whether he plans to deliver a support package to the music industry and the culture sector in response to the pandemic. What can we expect? (1/13)
This is, pretty obviously, a time of existential threat to the performing arts, and perhaps especially to music. So we might hope that the Culture Secretary would be doing everything in his power for advocate for our sector. (2/13)
But since mid-March, I've only been able to find TWO references to music on @OliverDowden's Twitter feed: a retweet of @benedetti_fdtn, and a reference to performers from "our world beating music sector," which "has long made us proud," who performed for #TogetherAtHome. (3/13)
Orchestras, choirs, opera companies, concert halls are conspicuous by their absence from @OliverDowden's feed. (4/13)
He's pleased that @NationalTheatre streamed One Man, Two Guvnors for free (let's not talk about how future productions will be funded); he regrets that @edintfest is cancelled; he's sad that Eddie Large has died; he's chuffed that Corrie is back in production... (5/13)
... but the possible imminent collapse of classical music as we know it in the UK doesn't merit a mention. He does reference @DCMS's support for @ace__london; and he did so again in his piece for @guardian on 24th May:
(6/13)
(6/13)
After another plug for One Man, Two Guvnors (are there any other plays?), he says here that his department has been working "flat out" to find solutions for performing arts organisations in the current crisis. And maybe they have. (7/13)
But the only specifics he mentions are @ace__london's Emergency Response Fund - which is a reallocation of project grant funds and emergency reserves, with implications for @ace__london's grant-giving budget in the coming years; and only 10% of which is ultimately govt money...
... and the SEISS, which is a Treasury policy with no special connection to @DCMS sectors - in fact, @WeAreTheMU estimate that up to 40% of musicians are unable to benefit from the scheme. (9/13)
Otherwise, @OliverDowden seems to have passed all responsibility for the perfoming arts to the new taskforce that he was so proud to announce on 20th May.
gov.uk/government/new…
There is no-one from the music industry on this taskforce. (10/13)
gov.uk/government/new…
There is no-one from the music industry on this taskforce. (10/13)
Professional bodies such as @WeAreTheMU, @ISM_music, @aborchestras and @RoyalPhilSoc have set out clear demands to the government for the kinds of support that they believe might rescue the music industry from the abyss. (11/13)
Musicians realise that almost all sectors are in crisis; but the current situation poses specific challenges to our sector, and there is an urgent need for emergency funding, and guidance which might point us to safe ways of getting back into rehearsal and back on stage. (12/13)
What musicians across the country now need is evidence - any evidence - that the Secretary of State is listening to us. (13/13)
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
