08.03.21 Musicians' Movement Open Letter to the Musicians' Union.
For over six months the Musicians’ Movement has been lobbying the Musicians’ Union to ensure that there is a specific provision for performers in their Seat Out to Help Out Scheme. As we transition to a ‘new normal’, we believe that the scheme (which has been proposed to the UK Government) does not offer sufficient support to a large number of performing musicians and that the Fair Play Guide does not sufficiently protect that same proportion of performing musicians. It is our belief that a combination of these two factors could be used to drive rates down rates as we transition out of lockdown.
It is clear that Seat Out to Help Out (developed with the OneVoice campaign) has the potential to work in relation to orchestra and theatre performances, and it is important that the MU has built the scheme around their collective bargaining agreements, which are critical to the security of many musicians’ futures. However, from several meetings with the Musicians’ Union and OneVoice it is our understanding that the scheme contains no specific provision for performances falling under the guidance provided by the Fair Play Guide. We fear that it leaves freelancers under supported in the case of door-splits and incentivises venues to book as few musicians as possible to cut performance costs and keep the lights on.
Example under the current Seat Out To Help Out Scheme
If a venue can operate at 25% capacity, and a further 25% is subsided that leaves a band with 50% of their usual fee and 25% of their merchandise sales.
We are grateful that the Musicians’ Union has already supported the ‘broad principles’ of our open letter to the Chancellor, signed by hundreds of the UK’s leading music organisations. We are now asking the MU to incorporate these principles directly into the scheme they have already presented to The Treasury.
It is clear that Seat Out to Help Out (developed with the OneVoice campaign) has the potential to work in relation to orchestra and theatre performances, and it is important that the MU has built the scheme around their collective bargaining agreements, which are critical to the security of many musicians’ futures. However, from several meetings with the Musicians’ Union and OneVoice it is our understanding that the scheme contains no specific provision for performances falling under the guidance provided by the Fair Play Guide. We fear that it leaves freelancers under supported in the case of door-splits and incentivises venues to book as few musicians as possible to cut performance costs and keep the lights on.
Example under the current Seat Out To Help Out Scheme
If a venue can operate at 25% capacity, and a further 25% is subsided that leaves a band with 50% of their usual fee and 25% of their merchandise sales.
We are grateful that the Musicians’ Union has already supported the ‘broad principles’ of our open letter to the Chancellor, signed by hundreds of the UK’s leading music organisations. We are now asking the MU to incorporate these principles directly into the scheme they have already presented to The Treasury.
Freelance Performers' Support Scheme // ISM Partnership
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The Musicians’ Movement is pleased to announce our new campaign partnership with the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) in support of a Freelance Performers’ Support Scheme (guaranteed subsidies for freelance performers) , and the extension and expansion of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. This approach offers a clear and viable route back to work for tens of thousands of sector workers. Highlights of the campaigns are below, along with links to the full proposals.
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Freelance Performers'
· The Freelance Performers’ Support Scheme creates a COVID-secure route back to work; kickstarting the live music sector, bringing back tens of thousands of viable jobs, uniting communities and protecting our national culture.
· It guarantees performers a minimum fee, even if COVID restrictions change which in turn enables some financial security in these unprecedented times. · It gives venues and promoters the opportunity to programme in advance without financial insecurity, enabling promoters of all sizes to start curation and allowing their communities to connect once more. · The scheme is flexible and scalable in relation to government guidelines to make sure that excess funding is not in place and that government money will not be wasted. · The principals are transferable to other parts of the arts sector, with the potential for the industry to unite to develop a one-fund, works for all, arts-sector initiative. |
Extension and Expansion of
• The ISM and the Musicians Movement are also calling on the government to deliver on its pledge to ensure parity between employees and the self-employed by maintaining the level of support provided by the Self Employment Income Support Scheme and expanding the eligibility criteria.
• Many musicians have already fallen through the gaps in the Self Employment Income Support Scheme and will continue to be excluded under the new measures announced in the Chancellor’s 'Winter Economy Plan'. In addition, reducing the level of support down from 70% to just 20% of average monthly trading profits will not provide an adequate safety net for our members when they are unable to generate any income at all. |
