Save grassroots music! Sign the petition

The Musicians’ Union (MU) and the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) are organisations that protect the rights and interests of artists and performers in the UK. Their work is to ensure that artists and performers are fairly represented and paid within the recorded and live music sectors. Given that recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit and the economic recession have heavily disrupted the live music market, the MU and FAC came together to write an open letter to the government and the biggest actors of the entertainment industry in regard to one of the most affected sectors: grassroots music.

The Arts Council defines grassroots music as "the engine room of England’s thriving music ecology." It's a delicate network of rehearsal and recording studios, venues, festivals and promoters that support musicians and music professionals in the development of their skills. It's made of that promoter who organises an open mic evening the second Wednesday of the month, the town's radio station, the rehearsal studio where musicians with no stage experience can face a microphone for the first time, the county's talent show, etc. They play a vital role in engaging and cultivating talents to make their music accessible to the public.

Without grassroots music, there's no music industry. While the MU and the FAC, alongside other organisations, have put mechanisms in place to support grassroot venues through the crisis, this isn't enough to keep the whole network afloat: artists need support too. Due to the increased cost of living and travelling, many can't afford to put on a show any longer, not to mention touring. This means cancellations for festivals, empty diaries for venues, and the withering of the whole ecosystem. On the other hand, financial struggles make audiences stop attending shows, aggravating the situation.

It's a complex matter, but not a hopeless one. You can read the full open letter to learn about the solutions the FAC, MU and other organisations have come up with, and sign a petition to support it by clicking here.