Arts sector unites in criticism of Autumn Statement

Leaders from across the creative industries have criticised last week’s Autumn Statement for not offering targeted relief to the arts and culture sector.

The statement, delivered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt last Thursday (17 November), focused primarily on tax rises and spending cuts and did not include a direct mention of the UK’s arts and culture sector.

Arts leaders have noted the omission comes amid a backdrop of financial uncertainties facing the creative industries, while adding that they are ready to work with government to increase support for the sector.

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CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) Michael Kill said the government is guilty of neglecting thousands of businesses and millions of employees and freelancers across the night-time economy.

“This budget has not gone far enough and still lacks clarity, and will, without doubt, see a huge swathe of SMEs and independent businesses disappear,” he added.

Head of creative industries union BECTU Philippa Childs said the budget sidelines the creative industries at a time where “structured, sustained support” is needed.

She also noted the lack of definitive support measures for the self-employed.

“[It] is incredibly disappointing. After repeatedly falling through the gaps in Covid-related government support schemes, many self-employed workers remain out in the cold,” she added.

Few wins

In-depth analysis of the statement has left arts professionals with little to celebrate.

But Founding Director of Culture Commons Trevor MacFarlane, General Secretary of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) Ellie Peers and Chief Executive of Creative UK Caroline Norbury all noted, and welcomed, plans to reform audio-visual creative tax reliefs.

The action is buried towards the end of the full statement, with the government committing to consulting on a series of proposals that will “go further to incentivise the production of culturally British content and support the growth of the audio-visual sectors”.

Speaking on the proposal, Norbury added: “The devil may be in the detail, and we will continue to engage constructively with the government on behalf of all our members”.

However, there was disappointment that the creative industries were absent from Hunt's discussions around stability and growth, two of the Chancellor’s three main budget priorities.

“The Chancellor talks about growth and stability but it would seem this budget is a missed opportunity to help boost the UK’s creative sector,” BECTU Head Childs said.

“There is very little in the budget’s ‘growth’ rhetoric that indicates how the government intends to protect and sustain our world-leading creative industries – which contribute so much in both cultural and economic terms.”

WGGB General Secretary Peers said the omissions are “puzzling, if not unsurprising”.

“In the government’s rush to turn the UK into the ‘next Silicon Valley’ by supporting ‘growth-enhancing’ industries such as science, technology and the financial sector, it is willfully overlooking the economic contribution and value of our world-leading creative industries and all workers who power them,” she added.

Culture Commons’ Trevor MacFarlane also said it was disappointing to see the creative and cultural sectors missing from the government’s list of priority growth sectors.

Future cooperation

Arts leaders also set out how they would like government to support the creative industries.

MacFarlane said Culture Commons will continue to work with the Department for Levelling-Up to “explore what can be done to harness the power of the creative and cultural sectors to revitalise high streets and town economies”.

In his response to the budget, CEO and Founder of the Music Venue Trust (MVT) Mark Davyd called on the government to set up a Live Music Commission.

Davyd suggested the body could be responsible for considering opportunities to stabilise and grow the live music sector, with the aim of informing future government policy “so these opportunities are not consistently missed”.

MVT estimates the music industry acquired more than £90m of new debt through the pandemic, leading many smaller venues to a more uncertain future.

“A Live Music Commission can provide the government with the tools it needs to be able to recognise the incredible asset the UK has in its grassroots music venues and ensure that future policy protects, secures and improves them,” he added.