Media highlights Nicola Benedetti and other top artists write open letter to U.K. government on consequences of Brexit

Nicola Benedetti and several notable artists signed a letter demanding the U.K. government to allow visa-free touring in the European Union (Photo Credit: The Times)

This week, media highlighted a letter signed by Britain’s famous musicians in the industry regarding the Brexit deal—demanding the government to allow visa-free touring in the European Union. Among the 110 artists who have signed the open letter to address these concerns are violinist Nicola Benedetti, Sir Simon Rattle, and Tasmin Little. 

BBC News featured an article explaining the contents of the letter, which claimed that “the deal done with the EU has a gaping hole where the promised free movement for musicians should be” and that “everyone on a European music tour will now need costly work permits for many countries they visit and a mountain of paperwork for their equipment.”

Classic FM expanded on the “huge implications” of the Brexit deal as a “recent report found that 78 percent of musicians visit EU or EEA countries at least once a year to perform.”

The Times further elucidated on the musicians’ concerns, stating that “the government’s ‘negotiating failure’ threatens the future of cultural exchange with the Continent.”

The Telegraph highlighted the active engagement of musicians in the open letter, explaining the inclusion of signatories from “the heads of the leading opera companies, plus Bob Geldof, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Joss Stone and Iron Maiden.”

The Strad reported on how these artists will appear alongside “the likes of Ed Sheeran, Elton John and more than 100 others, calling on the government to do what it said it would do and negotiate paperwork-free travel in Europe for British artists and their equipment.” 

The active engagement of big musicians in the industry, when placed in a larger cultural context, is significant. An article published by Variety clarified the scope of the impact, stating that “a petition seeking a Europe-wide visa-free work permit for touring professionals and artists has drawn more than 263,000 signatories, which means that the U.K. government has responded and that the matter will be debated in parliament.”

Daily Mail explained how “culture minister Caroline Dinenage said the EU rejected the UK's plan, but said ‘the door is open’ if the EU was willing to ‘consider the government's very sensible proposals’ on visa arrangements for musicians.”

To read the full letter and the signatories, click here.