Johnny Marr, Nick Cave Sign Letter Calling On UK Government To Support Creative Industries

They fear Britain could become a "creative wasteland..."

*Johnny Marr*, *Nick Cave* and *PJ Harvey* are amongst the artists who have signed an open letter to the UK government.

The letter was put together by the Creative Industries Federation (CIF) in order to urge Prime Minister Boris Johnson to allocate more support for cultural enterprise.

With COVID-19 shutting cinemas, theatres, and venues, there is little scope for escape from the economic impact coronavirus has wrought.

The letter fears that Britain could become a "creative wasteland", stating:

“A Creative Industries Federation survey of 2,000 creative organizations and freelancers revealed that 1 in 7 creative organizations believe they can last only until the end of April on existing financial reserves. Only half think their reserves will last beyond June."

The full text of the letter can be found *HERE.*

Caroline Norbury, CEO of CIF, spoke to the Guardian, commenting:

“While government support measures for businesses and the self-employed are welcome, we know that there are still thousands of creative organisations and freelancers who are falling through the gaps, and who simply will not get through this crisis without urgent cash support.”

Rufus Wanwright added: “Artists are creating so much content online that people can experience in their homes. They have not stopped producing and it would be a crime as a society to not support them through this crisis as they are nourishing us.”

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