Leading artists including Nicola Benedetti meet with U.K. Culture Secretary to discuss future of U.K. Music Industry
Nicola Benedetti and several notable artists met with Oliver Dowden this week to discuss the future of the U.K. music industry (Photo credit: The Scotsman)
This week, media highlighted the virtual meeting between Oliver Dowden, U.K.’s Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and several leading British artists to discuss how the government will support the arts industry during this COVID-19 pandemic time.
BBC Music Magazine featured an article stating: “A team of leading British musicians were invited to join a virtual meeting with secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, about the future of the music industry following the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
Violinist Nicola Benedetti, trumpeter Alison Balsom, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and conductor Simon Rattle had a series of conversations with people within the industry to discuss their concerns, which they passed on to Dowden in a meeting organised on 18 June, at short notice.
The musicians’ statement requests that the government support the industry and collaborate with artists, with sufficient funding given to organisations during the limitations of social distancing and beyond.
The focus of recent discussions within the arts industries has been the limitations of compulsory distancing measures, and what this will mean for the inevitable loss of income for theatres, concert halls and opera houses.
In his statement, Simon Rattle included references to his experiences performing in European cities following the lockdown, how the social distancing measures were carried out and what the UK could do to follow suit.
The full statement from the musicians can be seen below.”
Maddy Shaw Roberts from Classic FM wrote: “Sir Simon Rattle, music director of the London Symphony Orchestra, has urged the UK government to avoid “superstitions” and look to European concert halls for how live concerts can begin again.
The leading maestro recently conducted his first two live concerts in over three months – the “first in Munich… very distanced… the winds were three metres distant which was like sending smoke messages between mountains” and the second in Prague “with a full orchestra, not distanced as everyone had been tested in the previous three days. There was an audience of 500, all masked but sitting together.”
On orchestras resuming work in the UK, Sir Simon added: “We would ask that wind distances are a generous two metres maximum, and strings just one meter.
“The latest Danish scientific calculations suggest 0.5 metres for strings and one metre for winds as a perfectly safe arrangement.”
Rattle’s words follow speculation that government advice for concerts to resume will include a rule for brass and wind players to be seated three metres apart from each other on stage.
Sir Simon labelled the rumoured guidelines “impractical” and begged the UK to “take note of the very thorough investigations from all over the world” and “deal with the necessities of orchestral distancing not just the superstitions”.
The LSO’s music director said from his experience of playing in Germany and the Czech Republic, he was surprised “how little aerosols or droplets are emitted while playing wind instruments, considerably less than normal conversation”.
Rattle’s quotes came from a meeting with Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), who invited the maestro – along with violinist Nicola Benedetti, trumpeter Alison Balsom and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason – to join a discussion on 18 June about the future of the music industry.
Benedetti posted about the meeting on her Facebook page, saying: “The resilience, work ethic and tenacity of people working in our industry is bountiful and deeply moving.
“We really, really do not want to be left behind here, and have our world class industry fall by the wayside whilst European cultural institutions are being protected.”
The Scottish virtuoso continued: “We don’t want money for nothing. We don’t want our lights to stay dark. We want and need cash, support and guidelines in order to GIVE. To give to the public, to help people, to provide solace, comfort, uplift and art.
“Fundamentally, we want to work with you. We don’t want to sit and complain and moan. We are poised and ready for collaboration, to urgently save our industry and its thousands and thousands of jobs – but to also help lift people out of this awful situation.”
Two weeks ago, Culture Secretary OIiver Dowden spoke up for the first time since lockdown began, to say he is in the midst of negotiating a cash rescue package for the arts. Dowden told the Standard he will “not stand by and see our world-leading position in arts and culture destroyed”.
Dowden hinted at a bailout again on 17 June, saying that given theatres and music venues will be unlikely to reopen for some time due to social distancing, “other support” was in the works. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet.”