Further raising the profile of the arts in political debates in the run up to the General Election, the Royal Society for the Arts (RSA) hosted a debate on the future for the arts, giving another opportunity for front-bench spokespeople to outline their parties’ policies regarding the sector.

The NCA has now submitted its reponse to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) latest consultation on the Licensing Act, which proposes to exempt live music events for audiences of not more than 100 people from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003. The proposals are intended to make it easier for both licensed premises such as clubs and pubs, and unlicensed premises such as cafes, restaurants, scout huts, record shops, etc. to stage small, live music events. Furthermore, musicians will benefit, since the greater availability of venues will offer them a platform to perform and to be heard.

The response can be read here.

 

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has today published Sarah Thane’s report into Child Performance regulations. The report makes a number of recommendations on how the licensing system for child performers can be overhauled and re-balanced.

During the third day of the House of Lords report stage into the Digital Economy Bill, Lord Clement-Jones once again drew attention to the Save Our Sound UK campaign, explaining that the programme-making and special events (PMSE) sector was unhappy with the way in which the Government had not made their intentions clear regarding compensation for the loss of spectrum and radio microphones.

The NCA is seeking members’ comments on its draft response to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) latest consultation on the Licensing Act, which proposes to exempt live music events for audiences of not more than 100 people from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003. DCMS envisage that the proposals will make it easier for both licensed premises such as clubs and pubs, and unlicensed premises such as cafes, restaurants, scout huts, record shops, etc. to stage small, live music events. Furthermore, musicians will benefit, since the greater availability of venues will offer them a platform to perform and to be heard.

Hot on the tail of last week’s NCA arts funding debate at Kings Place, the NCA Arts Hustings was held at Tate Britain this week, during which arts and culture portfolio holders Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MBE MP, Ed Vaizey MP, and Don Foster MP were grilled by members of the sector on their parties’ arts policies. Chaired again by NCA Chairman Joan Bakewell, the event was both informative and entertaining, shedding light on numerous issues that the sector faces.

In a week filled with events, the NCA also held a seminar to examine the potential political landscape after the election, what implications these outcomes might have for the arts sector and what the sector can do to argue its case in the run up to, during and beyond the election campaign. Andrew Hawkins, CEO of political pollsters ComRes and analyst Daniel Hamilton presented an analysis looking at the likely outcome of the forthcoming election, considering why the outcome is so difficult to predict with any certainty, where the key battleground seats are, and what the implications are likely to be for policy making in the initial months of the new government.

A reminder to members that Arts Council England (ACE) launched Achieving great art for everyone – a consultation on future priorities for the arts, the results of which will inform a ten-year strategic framework and ACE’s future investment decisions. The consultation represents the first time the Arts Council has brought together all arts forms and development areas into one set of long-term priorities. The consultation is a very important one, to which the NCA will be responding. We invite members to submit comments and evidence to the NCA for inclusion before 2 April. These can be sent to campaigns@artscampaign.org.uk.

An eager and challenging audience arrived at Kings Place on Monday, 1 March to debate the motion that “This country can no longer afford to subsidise the arts”, curated by the NCA and chaired by Joan Bakewell.

The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) has published A Platform for Success: A Five Year Vision for Orchestras. The ABO’s vision sets out the following aspirations:

Maintain our programme of great performances at home and abroad, challenging audiences with a wide repertoire and diverse approach. Place orchestras within the national celebrations towards the London 2012 Olympic Games and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Nurture home grown talent and attract the world’s best composers, performers and conductors to the UK. All these artists have at their disposal a hugely talented and highly skilled pool of musicians, with a rich orchestral heritage. Ensure every orchestra in the ABO commits to an environmental ‘touring charter’ by 2015.

DCMS is running another consultation on the Licensing Act, which proposes to “exempt small live music events for audiences of not more than 100 people from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003 relating to the licensing of live music as regulated entertainment under the Act. “ It is hoped that this exemption will benefit small venues that wish to hold live music events, but are deterred by the licensing requirements and costs, as well as musicians who may find more opportunities to perform. As well as presenting an increased opportunity for the wider public to hear live music, the exemption is expected to make a number of administrative savings. People and organisations that currently use Temporary Event Notices to put on live music on an occasional basis, and licensed venues that put on small live music events for no more than 100 people are subject to a burden that the proposal will lift. It is estimated that this administrative saving could be around £406K - £881k per year. It is also estimated that there will be fee savings of around £379K - £503K. The full consultation can be viewed here.

The Conservative party has published its vision for the arts under a Tory government, setting out plans to “provide coherent and sustained support for the arts.” The document outlines approaches to matters of funding, structure, access, and education should a Conservative government be successful in the General Election. The introduction strongly sets out the party’s aims to “build on the success of the arts”, which focus on the following principles:

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is holding a consultation on the introduction of the Pupils and Parents Guarantees (PPG), which brings together an account of the key components of a good education. The focus throughout is on the entitlements and the responsibilities of pupils and parents, helping to ensure that  parents and pupils know what they can expect from schools. 

Culture minister Margaret Hodge has announced the final four cities in the running to become the UK’s first City of Culture, 2013. The cities are Birmingham, Derry/Londonderry, Norwich and Sheffield. This group has been shortlisted from the original 14 bids, after recommendations from an independent judging panel were given to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Ben Bradshaw. The same panel will give the final recommendation on the winning bid.

 

DCMS is currently running a consultation on the Licensing Act 2003, on a proposal to exclude the provision of musical instruments from the definition of entertainment facilities, and clarify that entertainment facilities are not separately licensable if they are used solely for the provision of incidental music. The NCA welcomes these proposals, which go some way to lighten the restrictions that the Licensing Act currently places on live music. The consultation can be viewed here.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have published an initial review of the Find Your Talent (FYT) programme, launched in 2008.

DCMS is currently running a consultation on the Licensing Act 2003, on a proposal to exclude the provision of musical instruments from the definition of entertainment facilities, and clarify that entertainment facilities are not separately licensable if they are used solely for the provision of incidental music. The NCA welcomes these proposals, which go some way to lighten the restrictions that the Licensing Act currently places on live music. The consultation can be viewed here.

The General Election must take place before Thursday 3rd June, 2010. Candidates’ policy priorities will be based on the concerns and opinions expressed by their local constituents. The NCA urges members to use the Arts Manifesto as an advocacy tool to promote the importance of art in your constituency. Contacting local politicians can make a real difference, especially during election time, so please put pen to paper for the sake of the arts.

The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) has released a new set of fees for immigration and nationality applications for 2010/11. UKBA has proposed to limit its increase for Tier 5 applications to 2.5% “in recognition of the importance of the Arts and Entertainment industry to the UK economy.” Regarding Points-Based System (PBS) visas, the charge for a Tier 5 application has increased from £125 to £128, and the respective charge for a Tier 2 application has increased from £265 to £270. These figures still remain below the estimated cost for UKBA to process the application. For non-PBS visas, the short term visitor visa is set to increase by £1, from £67 to £68. This 1.5% rise represents an increase lower than the general level of increase levied on other routes.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones' Live Music Bill has now passed the House of Lords stages after having its 3rd reading this week. The 3rd reading follows both the Committee and report stages, which were passed without amendment or opposition. The Bill aims to amend the Licensing Act to make it easier for musicians to perform in small venues. Measures include making schools, hospitals, colleges and venues up to a capacity of 200 exempt from the need to obtain a licence, and the re-instating of the “two-in-a-bar” rule, whereby venues presenting one or two musicians playing unamplified, or minimally amplified music would not require a licence.