A new study has found that 170,000 jobs will be lost in the UK live music industry by the end of 2020 because of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. While 1,000 venues, theatres and organisations were granted a part of the £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Funding last week, many freelancers, self-employed workers and road crew members are being left behind to fend for themselves. 80% of employees are still relying on the furlough scheme, which is set to end soon.
It has been predicted that 26,000 permanent roles in live music will be lost by Christmas, along with 140,000 FTE roles, including self-employed and freelance workers. The live music industry is said to have lost 81% of its income since most live shows have been detrimentally impacted by the government restrictions, this is four times the national UK average. It is surprising to see how much the music industry is slipping through the cracks, considering in 2019, the live music industry contributed £4.5 billion to the UK economy.
170,000 jobs in UK live music industry to be lost before end of 2020, study finds. pic.twitter.com/UhMg54Krmv
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There is a callout for a potential tailor-made support package for the music industry. Musicians and crew members want a ‘Seat Out To Help Out’ scheme, a version of the government’s ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ scheme which aimed at helping restaurants survive the pandemic. The ‘Seat Out To Help Out’ scheme would help put on socially-distanced gigs with some kind of sector specific financial help for the self-employed workforce.
“We were one of the first sectors to close and we will be one of the last to reopen,” said Phil Bowdery, Chair, Concert Promoters Association. “We are currently caught in a catch-22 where we are unable to operate due to Government restrictions but are excluded from the Extended Job Support Scheme as the furlough comes to an end. If businesses can’t access that support soon then the majority of our specialist, highly trained workforce will be gone.”
This research has been done by LIVE, an organisation which represents the live music industry. LIVE members include the Entertainment Agents’ Association, the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM), the Association of Festival Organisers (AFO), the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), the Concert Promoters Association (CPA), the Music Managers Forum (MMF), the National Arenas Association (NAA), the Production Services Association (PSA) and the Music Venue Trust (MVT).
You can support the people who work in the live music industry by donating to Stagehand here, you can also sign this petition that is demanding the government to do more for every member of the live music industry.
