NOVEMBER | OPINION
Staging a comeback
Association of Independent Festivals ( AIF ) CEO Paul Reed says that due to the organisation ’ s , and wider industry ’ s , swift and decisive response to the impact of Covid-19 the outlook for indepedent festivals is far less bleak than it was six months ago , but in order to secure a bright future for the sector further government support is required .
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be
the most significant challenge ever faced by festival organisers . It remains an existential threat , but our sector did not freeze in the headlights . Instead we rolled up our sleeves and took pragmatic action .
For AIF , this began with an extensive media campaign highlighting the urgent risk faced by festival organisers ; multiple surveys presented to Government to make the case for our sector and many Zoom calls to our members offering ongoing support .
We successfully lobbied DCMS to make festivals explicitly eligible to apply for the £ 1.57bn Cultural Recovery Fund , before supporting each member in their application . We also confirmed festival eligibility for the temporary 5 % VAT cut .
In collaboration with DCMS and PHE , our AIF Ops group is now leading on festival specific guidance and planning considerations that will hopefully support festivals in planning for 2021 .
Looking to the future , we have a number of key short-term considerations , including ongoing lobbying efforts ; responding to the outcomes of the CRF applications ; ensuring that all local authorities roll over premises license fees ; the industry-wide campaign for a Government-backed reinsurance scheme ; and an extension to the 5 % VAT cut , as well as ongoing employment support for a sector in which 50.5 % of the workforce are facing redundancy according to our most recent survey . I can confidently say that the recently announced jobs support scheme will make zero difference to this . How can a sector that is still generating no income afford to cover 55 % of employee salaries ?
We were a growth industry and incredibly viable to the tune of £ 1.75bn GVA generated for the UK economy each year before the pandemic rendered us unable to operate . Unlike many other UK sectors such as fossil fuels , we did not rely on public subsidy and
“ The light at the end of the tunnel need not be an oncoming train .”
have stood on our own two feet for decades .
If it can be glimpsed through the fog of the pandemic , there is the bigger picture : The BC era , not before Covid but beyond Covid .
When we are able to fully stage festivals in the UK again , it ’ s critical that the climate emergency remains central on our agenda . AIF has led the way on this issue with campaigns such as Drastic On Plastic and Take Your Tent Home , reaching millions of people and making commitments to eliminate single-use plastic and promote reuse at member events .
We also need to look very closely at diversity and inclusion in the festival sector . The recent formation of the Without Exception organisation , which looks specifically at this , is very welcome . A determined focus on this issue is long overdue .
Then there is , of course , Brexit . That is going to impact the entire live sector .
That said , the light at the end of the tunnel need not be an oncoming train . The festival sector is defined by mitigation of risk , it is what promoters do for a living . Their innovation is demonstrated by the many digital festivals and socially distanced camping events we have seen this summer .
We ’ re not out of the woods and back into the fields yet . I ’ m writing this against a backdrop of rising Covid cases , further social restrictions , local lockdowns and great uncertainty .
There will be more challenges . But there is an incredible appetite for live music , entertainment and escapism . People are yearning for collective experiences , tribalism and moments that resonate for a lifetime . Where better than a festival ? As soon as we can , our incredibly viable festival industry will come roaring back .
Association of Independent Festivals ( AIF ) CEO Paul Reed
11