The Musicians' Union and the British Academy Of Composers & Songwriters yesterday co-launched a new report on the status of the 'artist' in Britain today.
The report, called 'Status Quo?', says that while the UK government recognises the importance of the creative sector in the country's overall economy, it doesn't do enough to support the individual creators that feed that sector. The paper makes a number of recommendations for policies and practices that government should introduce to increase the contribution of music creators to the creative economy, including the creation of sustainable careers, the rewarding of research & development and the disseminating of knowledge, the stimulation of the market, the safeguarding of intellectual property and the further development of music education and skills.
Launching the report, British Academy chair David Ferguson told reporters: "The [Department Of Culture's] Creative Economy Programme and the Treasury's Gowers Review of Intellectual Property, clearly show that the government recognises that the creative industries are major contributors to the UK economy with a significant potential for further growth. However, as far as the music sector is concerned, that growth will simply be unsustainable unless the Government and other relevant agencies address the key issues which affect the current plight of the majority of composers & songwriters [and artists] as revealed in this 'Status Quo?' report. Those who write [and make] music need to do so within an environment in which they can flourish. They need quality training at the beginning of their careers, continuing support as they adapt to and take on new skills, effective protection of their intellectual property and a fair reward for work undertaken. Failure to address these issues will only lead to a general decline in the quality of UK music as our creative talent drifts off to alternative and better rewarded careers. "