Tracy Brabin: 'The next generation of Stormzys and Maxine Peakes cannot go undiscovered due to Covid-19's impact on the arts'

The Shadow Culture Secretary said the country was at risk of the next generation of creative success stories being lost, and areas such as Yorkshire as a creative hub being forgotten, due to the coronavirus.

And that arts and culture as a whole was facing an “existential crisis” at the hands of the coronavirus disease.

But she said Labour had a role in ensuring the sector not only survived but was strengthened after the crisis was over.

Coronavirus has hit the arts particularly hard, with one of the first actions by Government advising people to stay away from theatres and cinemas, and the tendency for the workforce to be self-employed or on short term contacts bringing insecurity for many.

And in a report called Culture for All, released today - looking at the impact of Covid-19 but also suggesting 40 new policies for Labour - Ms Brabin said: “I am deeply concerned that the current crisis will drive a generation of working-class talent out of all parts of our sector.

“We cannot let the next generation of Stormzys and Maxine Peakes go undiscovered. It is my absolutely top priority to ensure that cannot be allowed to happen.”

And speaking to The Yorkshire Post she said: “Looking at Yorkshire in particular, we have seen absolutely phenomenal output. We’ve got Screen Yorkshire, we’ve got the new film studio, Sky, Channel Four, and certainly the Centre of Screen Excellence that was launched a couple of months ago, great new talent coming through with proper training.

“We are at a point and it’s so frustrating that this has held us back slightly. But where we can really sing and dance about Yorkshire is being a real centre of excellence for the creative industries..”

She said the region was “punching above its weight” and a lot of work had gone into drawing the industry away from London.

“So we can’t let them that momentum fall away. We must make sure that we, as soon as this is over, hit the ground running.”

In pulling together the report Ms Brabin received thousands of replies to a call to the industry asking how the coronavirus was affecting them.

One person told her: “Thousands of people, many young with no savings behind them, are now facing an immediate future of no income for what could be four months or more. No warning or notice, just finished.”

Another said: “The terrifying truth is that many of us are only one cancelled contract away from homelessness.”

A third person added: “It feels as though the sword of Damocles is hanging over our heads. I’m awake at night wondering what in God’s name I will do if future work is cancelled and I have no income.”

Ms Brabin said: “I honestly wasn’t prepared for the avalanche of personal, very moving stories.

“The people that were impacted the most, it seems to me, were single parents who they had no one else to rely on to pay the bills, but still had childcare costs. And families where both partners were freelance, and all of their diaries are wiped out altogether and yet again, still had high childcare costs. And also, pregnant women who have been really concerned that they wouldn’t accrue the 26 weeks of work you need in order to qualify for maternity benefits.”

A spokesman for the Department of Culture Media and Sport said: "We’re working closely with Arts Council England to respond to the challenges faced by Yorkshire’s world-class performing arts sector during the coronavirus outbreak.

"The Government has announced an unprecedented package of support for businesses and workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak and are committed to supporting all employees across the arts sector’s diverse workforce, in addition to £160m emergency cash for the sector from Arts Council England which is backed by government funding.

"We are in regular communication with creative industries across Yorkshire to understand how they are being impacted and we will continue to work closely with them.”

But Ms Brabin said: “The closure of venues and a sudden end to their employment for much of the workforce has been a double blow to the core of this industry.

“Tourism and sports venues have been rocked to the core, our amazing third sector organisations are on a knife-edge.”

The Creative Industries Federation has revealed that nearly half of all freelancers - 47 per cent - now have no work at all.

Ms Brabin said: “A third of the creative workforce are self-employed, and face unprecedented uncertainty about their future.”

She added: “As the coronavirus crisis initially escalated, one of the first actions of the Government was to call for people to avoid going to theatres, music venues and other cultural institutions.

“The way it was initially handled was devastating news for this sector. It’s a tragedy for any arts venue when they are forced to close, and the uncertainty was untenable.

“From West End to community theatres, many artists, actors, producers, stage crew and other workers were facing a terrible time ahead, and it seemed to many as though the Tories were prioritising the needs of the insurance industry by not giving clarity.”

The sector has broadly welcomed the support now on offer from the Government for the self-employed.

Caroline Norbury MBE, Chief Executive of the Creative Industries Federation and Creative England, said at the time: "The Chancellor’s statement today is a victory for the creative industries.”

But Ms Brabin added: “Beyond Covid-19 we must have a social security system that works for all. The precarious nature of work in the creative industries can be a litmus test of how that system is working, both at times of national crisis and in the longer term as well.”

She added: “My hope is that this dossier can form part of a growing body of evidence that will inform the Government’s next steps as they build on last month’s welcome announcement of a support package for freelance and self-employed workers.”

As well as looking at the impact of coronavirus, Culture for All also suggests directions for Labour’s future in the sector.

And Ms Brabin said arts, culture, and creativity must not be “middle class pastimes with too great a focus on London and the South East”.

She said Labour “must develop a far stronger proposition for culture” with a particular focus on towns.

She said: “For too many working class people who want to develop a career in the creative industries, it feels that it is getting harder to follow your ambitions unless you are from an affluent background.

“A decade of austerity has led to huge cuts in cultural facilities like libraries, community centres, youth centres and sports facilities that are at the heart of the communities we seek to represent.”

And there could also be electoral wins from projects which would bring people together, she said.

She said: “I know first-hand that work in the cultural and creative industries is far too often based on who you know, rather than your talent, and we must go much further in ensuring these industries properly reflect the social make-up of our entire country.

“If Labour can propose an approach which gets working conditions right in the creative and cultural industries, we can set a model that works for the entire economy too.”

Ms Brabin’s policy areas fall under five main categories, including a new vision for public service broadcasting, and involving regions and towns.

She said: “Where I believe Labour must go next is to localise and articulate the offer in real, practical terms to the communities we seek to represent. We should launch a Town of Culture Competition, to sit alongside the City of Culture Competition that Labour created, to celebrate the cultural lives of our brilliant towns.”

She said one of the ideas would be to propose a regional tax break so that TV and film productions are incentivised to film in the regions.

Ms Brabin added: “I want Culture for All to be where the Labour movement and our politics can change our nation, one person at a time.

“From childhood to older age, Labour can have a vibrant, positive offering to the people we want to represent. In this pamphlet I have laid out an approach and a number of ideas for how Labour can reclaim this ground, particularly with the communities that we hope will vote Labour in the future.

“Our creative industries are facing an existential crisis in the face of Covid-19. I am determined for fight for their future so that all generations in Yorkshire and across the country can be a part of the joy, belonging and sense of place that comes from investment in culture and creativity in our communities.

“For Labour to become a beacon of hope, we must have an offer to people of Culture for All which says, at a very human level, ‘things can be different; Labour will help you to unlock your potential, give you the chance to express yourself, and to pursue purpose outside of work’.”

To read the full report, visit bit.ly/CultureForAll