State of play: Musician Kate Nash and others to give evidence on impact of Brexit on performing arts touring
Platinum-selling artist, musician and actress Kate Nash will be among those giving evidence to MPs on how post-Brexit rules are affecting performing arts touring and working in the EU.
Meeting details
The session was suggested by casting platform Spotlight as part of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s State of Play inquiry, which invited ideas from across the sector on what MPs should be examining.
In its submission, Spotlight warned that actors are missing out on working opportunities as they struggle to navigate the rules and regulations in the EU and the different visa rules applied across European countries. Spotlight has also sought insights from performers and other professionals in the industry, which it has also provided as written evidence to the Committee.
The first part of the hearing, featuring Spotlight’s managing director Matt Hood and representatives from the agency Global Artists and entertainment trade union Equity, will focus on the particular problems faced by actors.
MPs are likely to ask about the steps the Government might take to help overcome some of the challenges of touring and about the impact barriers to working in the EU are having on the UK performing arts sector as a whole.
With several music industry surveys and reports highlighting the effect of current post-Brexit arrangements on musicians, the Committee will then focus on the music sector with Kate Nash, and representatives of the Musicians’ Union and Association of British Orchestras.
The Musicians’ Union has warned that 75% of musicians who had previously worked in the EU have experienced a decline in bookings, while a 2025 Best for Britain study showed that the number of artists playing at festivals in the EU has declined by more than a quarter since Brexit.
As well as discussions about the mobility of performers, there could also be questions on how export rules are affecting goods such as merchandise and the effect cabotage limits are having on the logistics of touring in the EU.