Recommendations & Conclusions
14 items
1
Conclusion
First Report - The future of UK music f…
With only 8% of festivals applying for the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund, and those that were successful receiving just 1.3% of the available grants, the Government’s flagship investment in the arts was of limited benefit to the festival sector as a whole. This was in part due …
Government response. The Government recognises the significant challenges that the pandemic has created for the festivals sector, and our support to the industry has been unwavering throughout. Throughout the pandemic, the Government has put in place one of the world’s most comprehensive …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
2
Recommendation
First Report - The future of UK music f…
Government-backed insurance is crucial to mitigating the Covid-19 related risks to festival organisers and enabling them to start planning, as the vast majority do not have the financial resilience to cover the costs of another year of late-notice cancellations. Despite the events and insurance industries proposing a range of solutions …
Government response. 2021. In response to both recommendation 1 and 2: The Government recognises the challenges the events sector has been facing over the past year, and committed to consider options, including indemnity cover, to best support the live events sector if …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
3
Conclusion
First Report - The future of UK music f…
We repeat our call for the Government to introduce a time-limited insurance scheme for costs incurred by live events scheduled to take place after 21 June that may have to cancel if there is a need for, or return to, continuing Covid-19 restrictions. The scheme should run until the commercial …
Government response. The Government recognises that there remain challenges for touring and is focused on continuing to work closely with the creative industries, including to keep them informed of progress. We consider this is the most appropriate channel for communicating and updating …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
4
Conclusion
First Report - The future of UK music f…
The success of the vaccine rollout and the target date announced during our inquiry under the Government’s roadmap for lifting lockdown gave hope to many that festivals will be able to take place this summer. However, the lifting of all restrictions on live events remains heavily contingent on the Events …
Government response. The Government agrees with the Committee that in order to meet emissions targets, we should support festivals on their pledges to reduce emissions. The Minister for Digital and Culture made clear when giving evidence to the Select Committee that she …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
5
Recommendation
First Report - The future of UK music f…
While our preference remains for a comprehensive sector-wide insurance scheme, we recommend, in the absence of such a scheme, a targeted intervention that extends the Events Research Programme and associated liabilities to a range of additional pilot events, including festivals of different sizes and genres, across the UK during the …
Government response. The government has a strong track record on investing to tackle drug misuse through the Home Office. No illicit drug can be assumed to be safe and there is no safe way to take illicit drugs safely. The possession, supply …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
6
Conclusion
First Report - The future of UK music f…
Festival supply chains and freelance workers cannot sustain another year with little to no income. Continued uncertainty about whether events will go ahead or a significant reduction in the number that do go ahead this summer will make it harder for skilled personnel temporarily working in other industries to return …
Government response. The Government is committed to cracking down on unacceptable behaviour in the ticketing market and improving fans’ chances of buying tickets at a reasonable price. That is why we introduced a new criminal offence for using automated software to buy …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
7
Conclusion
First Report - The future of UK music f…
We welcome the PRS Foundation’s Keychange initiative to increase the number of female artists appearing in festival line-ups, and recommend that all festivals sign up to it. During the pandemic, support from the public purse has been available for festivals, albeit to an insufficient degree. It is incumbent on festivals …
Government response. The Government welcomes the PRS Foundation’s Keychange initiative to increase the number of female artists appearing in festival line-ups, and agrees that festivals should ensure that under-represented female artists at all career stages benefit from public support by appearing in …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
8
Recommendation
First Report - The future of UK music f…
The UK has long occupied an important place in Europe’s live music ecosystem, and has traditionally been a starting point for tours creating work for UK-based freelancers and suppliers. The substantial UK-based infrastructure, including haulage, for tours and festivals is currently at risk unless the Government finds a solution to …
Government response. This Government recognises the importance of the UK’s creative and cultural industries, not only to the economy and international reputation of the United Kingdom, but also to the wellbeing and enrichment of its people. We want musicians and touring performers …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
9
Conclusion
First Report - The future of UK music f…
The UK-EU trade and co-operation deal threatens not only the vibrancy of the UK’s festivals but the music industry as a whole. The cost and complication of moving people and equipment between the UK and EU will make it less attractive for bands from overseas to play at the UK’s …
Government response. This Government recognises the importance of the UK’s creative and cultural industries, not only to the economy and international reputation of the United Kingdom, but also to the wellbeing and enrichment of its people. We want musicians and touring performers …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
10
Conclusion
First Report - The future of UK music f…
Despite the good intentions and countless initiatives to reduce the environmental impacts of festivals, the growth of the market has undermined the sector’s efforts to reduce overall emissions, and the legacy of the pandemic presents a further threat to those measures. The Government and local authorities should signal their commitment …
Government response. The Government agrees with the Committee that in order to meet emissions targets, we should support festivals on their pledges to reduce emissions. The Minister for Digital and Culture made clear when giving evidence to the Select Committee that she …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
11
Recommendation
First Report - The future of UK music f…
We recommend that before the 2023 festival season the Government, the Local Government Association and representatives from across the festival sector develop standardised environmental objectives that local authorities must adopt when licensing festivals, and that local authorities should report back to DCMS on those events’ progress at reducing emissions year-on-year.
Government response. The Government agrees with the Committee that in order to meet emissions targets, we should support festivals on their pledges to reduce emissions. The Minister for Digital and Culture made clear when giving evidence to the Select Committee that she …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
12
Conclusion
First Report - The future of UK music f…
We are highly concerned that a compressed festival season, the likely circulation of high-strength, adulterated drugs and increased risk-taking after lockdown will lead to a spike in drug-related deaths at festivals this summer. We heard compelling 34 The future of UK music festivals arguments that drug checking saves lives, but …
Government response. The government has a strong track record on investing to tackle drug misuse through the Home Office. No illicit drug can be assumed to be safe and there is no safe way to take illicit drugs safely. The possession, supply …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
13
Recommendation
First Report - The future of UK music f…
We recommend that, before festivals take place this summer, the Home Secretary should make regulations under section 7 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 that allow organisations conducting drug checking to operate lawfully. Thereafter, the Government should introduce a dedicated licensing scheme for drug checking to set a clear …
Government response. The government has a strong track record on investing to tackle drug misuse through the Home Office. No illicit drug can be assumed to be safe and there is no safe way to take illicit drugs safely. The possession, supply …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
14
Recommendation
First Report - The future of UK music f…
With tickets on sale for festivals that might not take place, we are concerned that the difficulty of securing refunds from secondary ticketing platforms, and the industry’s understandable desire to maximise sales, could mean consumers lose out as the events industry emerges from the pandemic. We recommend that the Government …
Government response. The Government is committed to cracking down on unacceptable behaviour in the ticketing market and improving fans’ chances of buying tickets at a reasonable price. That is why we introduced a new criminal offence for using automated software to buy …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport