This week in Creative Money
Welcome to the first Creative Money newsletter!
I should start with a thank you. CreativeMoney.co.uk launched on Wednesday and had some respectable first day traffic. This was down to your support and all the follows, shares, sign-ups and shout-outs have really helped, so thanks very much for your efforts.
In particular, the 'Coronavirus support - resources for the creative industries' post has been really well-received and got shared a lot on Twitter. Social media is, as ever, a rancid cesspit bit of a minefield, but I can't remember the last time I wrote anything that got such a universally positive reaction, so it's great to hear that this stuff is proving useful. I will focus on producing more guides and keep updating that list. If you spot anything new in your sector that you think should be on there, let me know on social media or creativemoneycontact@gmail.com and I'll add it.
Now we're past the launch, you can expect updates on Wednesdays and Fridays. We've got a lot more to come...
On the site this week:
Coronavirus support: resources for the creative industries
It’s good to talk – addressing the stigma of money in creative careers
Short Cuts: “What’s it going to leave behind?” Rich Robinson on creation vs service
Supporting UK culture and #ExcludedUK
Elsewhere, this week saw various campaigns in support of the UK cultural sector begin to gather pace. The UK music, theatre and media sectors, in particular, are in genuine trouble right now and urgently need a proper response from the government.
Some of this is down to to the lottery that is government funding, meaning many PAYE or limited company freelancers, so prevalent in those industries, have completely missed out.
For instance, I had an email this week from someone who reckons they've lost over £20K in work, yet have had no income since March, they're not eligible for the Covid-19 support schemes and have also been told they cannot claim Universal Credit. This is not an isolated case of misfortune.
These people are being well-represented by the ExcludedUK campaign. You can help by emailing your MP before 7 July and asking them to attend the Excluded UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG ) meeting. Here's an email template for that, set up by Lib Dem MP Jamie Stone.
Meanwhile, the theatre and live music industries have been told they will be unable to return before we "defeat this disease" (the words of the Prime Minister). Given the most optimistic date for a vaccine is early 2021, both sectors desperately need a comprehensive support package from the government.
The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (Bectu) has described this as "cultural vandalism" and culture minister Oliver Dowden has been about as useful as a chocolate teapot so far. Voters are going to have to make a lot more noise if they want to watch new TV shows, film, bands, plays or other performing arts in the near future.
It's already too late for some historic theatres and other cultural venues, but if we don't act soon, we also risk losing our most valuable asset: the people working in these industries.
Creative Money will continue to champion these causes where relevant. Our aim is to help creative workers manage their finances in a way that can make their careers as sustainable and enjoyable as possible, but the lack of government support right now is a huge challenge to the longevity, diversity and quality of the work of all these industries.
Until next week!
Matt