The exodus of musicians won’t be noticed by most until it is too late, says Cheryl Law, who reflects on watching the ship sink when there are no spaces left in the life boats.
Last week Oliver Dowden reported that the UK’s performing arts are waiting in the wings. Whilst he has rightly pointed out that most of us are not yet working, he is also wrong. Waiting in the wings is an option only for the luckiest amongst us who can afford to wait. The rest of us are emigrating, retraining or leaving the profession. And whilst you could be forgiven for hearing the news about the Last Night of The Proms and think that all this talk of programming must mean the music industry is back, let me tell you, things are most definitely not back to normal.
Of the musicians I know, since March, two have emigrated and many more are considering it, several are working in supermarkets, pubs or delivering parcels, four are embarking on full-time university courses, and one young freelancer I know has sewn curtains for her Corsa and has set off across Europe, with her duvet and instrument in the boot, in search of work... Keep reading on Medium
Last week Oliver Dowden reported that the UK’s performing arts are waiting in the wings. Whilst he has rightly pointed out that most of us are not yet working, he is also wrong. Waiting in the wings is an option only for the luckiest amongst us who can afford to wait. The rest of us are emigrating, retraining or leaving the profession. And whilst you could be forgiven for hearing the news about the Last Night of The Proms and think that all this talk of programming must mean the music industry is back, let me tell you, things are most definitely not back to normal.
Of the musicians I know, since March, two have emigrated and many more are considering it, several are working in supermarkets, pubs or delivering parcels, four are embarking on full-time university courses, and one young freelancer I know has sewn curtains for her Corsa and has set off across Europe, with her duvet and instrument in the boot, in search of work... Keep reading on Medium