FEBRUARY | TRENDING
Policy wars
In the wake of the US government shutdown, Access
investigates how government policies are affecting
festivals and outdoor events across the UK
Words: Stuart Wood
A
t the time of writing, the USA is
currently 23 days into a partial
government shutdown, which has
now become the longest of its kind in the
country’s history.
The disagreement is over budgets, with
President Trump demanding $5bn to fund
his wall along the Mexican border, and
Democrats standing firmly against him.
The knock-on effect of partially closing
the government is that many federal
departments are unable to pay their
employees or have been forced to close,
affecting everything from airport security
and law enforcement to national parks and
immigration courts.
The shutdown has also impacted a
number of public events across the country.
The St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee
of Washington DC announced earlier
this month that its 2019 parade would be
cancelled, after the shutdown left security
costs too high to manage.
And, over on the conference side of the
industry, the American Astronomical
Society’s annual Meeting saw a number of
high-profile scientists grounded - alongside
the world’s largest airborne observatory -
with neither able to make the trip.
These issues got Access thinking – how
are government policies affecting festivals
and outdoor events in the UK? We spoke
to some industry experts and heard their
thoughts on the key policies and problems
they have to contend with on a day to day
basis.
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Walled off
The first major issue which has been a
concern for festival organisers in the UK
is that of artist visas. Last summer, the
directors of some of Britain’s biggest festivals
signed an open letter to the government,
asking for greater transparency in the visa
process.
It followed a string of refusals and
complications for authors, artists and
musicians who had been invited to perform
in the UK. Several artists set for WOMAD
festival 2018 were unable to make the trip,
as were many invited to the 2018 Edinburgh
International Book Festival.
Nick Barley, director of the Edinburgh
International Book Festival, was among
the major signatories of the letter. He says
that, following the publication of the letter, a
number of politicians got in touch.
“David Lammy MP, the de facto deputy
Prime Minister, visited me at the Book
Festival for an informal discussion and
he promised to look into the matter,”
he says. “At the same time, a number of
politicians including Deidre Brock MP and
Joan McAlpine MSP are calling for urgent
discussion and legislation in parliament.”
But progress has been slow to this point,
he says. “In January I gave evidence to an
All Party Parliamentary Group session in
Westminster chaired by Chi Onwura MP.
There’s no doubt that the will is there to
improve things, but there is no evidence of
progress. It was hugely disappointing that
the long-awaited Immigration White Paper
offered no solutions.
“It would be another blow to Britain’s
international reputation as a place for
cultural exchange if we are no further
forward with the visa issue when festival
season comes round again.”
Theresa May’s government did address
the artist visa issue ahead of the crucial
Brexit vote in mid-January, with the
Department for Exiting the European
Union sending a letter to industry umbrella
organisation UK Music.
It offered reassurances about freedom
of movement for travelling artists, and
copyright law post-Brexit. However, with
May’s deal being voted down by a large
majority in Parliament, there is still much
uncertainty around the issue.
Organised fun
Not all policies are a hindrance, however.
Event crewing specialists Gallowglass say
that the government’s Construction (Design
and Management) regulations have actually
benefitted them, providing structure and