In Tuesday’s (8/22) Classic FM (U.K.), Sophia Alexandra Hall writes, “Nearly half (47.4 percent) of professional musicians have had less work in Europe following Brexit, according to a stark new report which interviewed 400 musicians in the UK. The report, released by the Independent Society of Musicians (ISM), also found that over a quarter (27.8 percent) had booked no work in Europe at all since the decision to leave the EU. Over a third (39 percent) of respondents reported that they had to turn down work since 1 January 2021, when restrictions were introduced by the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement … 40 percent had also seen their work cancelled in the same period…. A survey published by Best for Britain in May earlier this year found that UK musicians being booked for European festivals had decreased by a third…. The ISM has proposed seven recommendations following the results of its survey, published on 22 August 2023. These include raising the 90-day limit to 180 for musicians on longer tours, negotiating agreements for work permits with individual EU Member States that do not currently offer cultural exemptions for work of up to 90 days, and providing clearer guidance on the paperwork musicians must fill out before coming to Europe to tour.”
