MMF Statement on Government Business Support Package
In reaction to yesterday’s announcement by the Government of additional support measures for businesses, the MMF issued the following statement and have launched a questionnaire to gather important evidence and data on the impact of COVID-19 on music makers and their representatives.
On Monday evening, the Prime Minister recommended people should avoid mass gatherings and no longer visit venues or pubs and clubs. This evening, we heard details of countermeasures to alleviate the impact of this strategy, in the shape of a £330bn guaranteed loan package for businesses – with a promise from the Chancellor that he will do “whatever it takes” to save jobs and livelihoods, and will go further if required.
On initial glance this looks a welcome step for more traditional music businesses which will help maintain employment and capacity for the future. However we maintain significant concerns that the benefits will not reach the music makers, their representatives and their teams, who are predominantly small-scale, self-employed or freelance. To help policy-makers better understand the impacts of coronavirus, the MMF has launched a new questionnaire that aims to quantify the profound and potentially long lasting losses that will result from this crisis for those who make the music we all live from.
It is vital we can gather this evidence as quickly as possible, and we urge all artists, musicians, music producers, songwriters, engineers, DJs, as well as their managers, to get involved.
Annabella Coldrick, CEO, MMF & Paul Craig, Chair, MMF
The MMF has collated this resource as a guide to finance and support available