We must do more to save our cultural fabric
4 min read
Whether you spend your time exploring one of our country’s many enlightening museums or historic houses, or are a regular gig-goer at a much-loved venue, everyone will have a building that is special to them. A place where you can be inspired, informed and entertained.
As well as being important to so many, these buildings are part of the rich cultural tapestry of the UK. They provide a stage for our grassroots musicians and comedy performers. The part they play in both our history and communities, and their role in the health of our creative industries, is vital.
But many of these cultural spaces – from iconic old buildings to small performance venues – face a battle to survive as financial and structural challenges hit right across our cultural sector.
That’s why a theme running through the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s work this Parliament has been what more can be done to support and protect such precious assets.
A year ago, our predecessor committee sounded the alarm that grassroots music venues were shutting at the rate of two a week, hit by spiralling supply chain, energy, staffing and other business costs alongside changes in audience behaviour driven by the cost of living. Just last month, the industry told us that local venues are still struggling, demonstrating the need for action from all involved.
The committee recommended a voluntary levy on arena and stadium gigs to support the grassroots, but with just eight per cent of shows contributing so far, progress remains too slow. What money that has been collected is still to reach where it is desperately needed.
The government must continue to hold the music industry’s feet to the fire to make sure it goes further and faster in supporting the talent pipeline and infrastructure it relies on.
With the Night Time Industries Association, we also hosted roundtable discussions. We heard that nightclubs are closing at a rate of three per week due to unhelpful licensing and planning conditions and vexatious complaints, which not only is harming our vibrant and entrepreneurial night time economy but also damages our electronic music pipeline and the genre’s potential for further growth.
Similar problems face the UK’s live comedy sector, with our State of Play session in April hearing how venues are about to go through their toughest phase, with the cost of keeping open, including energy and wage bills, continuing to go up.
As a sector, comedy has traditionally gone under the radar but we heard how government and Arts Council England recognition of stand-up as its own distinct industry could be crucial to its future.
This month the focus will be on what more can be done to secure the future of historic buildings, as we hold the first evidence session of our inquiry into protecting built heritage.
Heritage organisations have warned that both immediate and structural changes are needed to protect heritage assets, including historic attractions, shops, homes, pubs, theatres, nightclubs, community centres, town halls and libraries. According to Historic England’s
Heritage at Risk Register, 4,891 historic buildings and sites are at risk of neglect, decay or inappropriate change, including 155 added to the register last year.
Historic buildings are the centrepiece of many communities across the country and contribute hugely to the vibrancy of an area. Sadly, our built heritage faces a range of challenges – financial, practical, and regulatory – which make their restoration and upkeep so costly and bureaucratic.
Our inquiry will shine a light on the huge benefits historic sites bring and see what more can be done to ensure they continue to be enjoyed by all.
Spaces up and down the country are the physical fabric of our cultural life. They tell our stories, shape our communities, and provide the backdrop for our wonderful creative industries’ grassroots to flourish. We will work to ensure they are revitalised, properly supported and protected for generations to come.
Caroline Dinenage, Conservative MP for Gosport and chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee
