Arts Council issues no-deal Brexit guidance for arts organisations

Arts Council England (ACE) has issued arts organisations, museums and libraries with new guidance on areas such as touring, moving goods and employing EU citizens in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The publication gathers together Government policies on key topics that could affect cultural organisations if the UK leaves the European Union at the end of March with no trade deal in place.

These include access to EU funding, freedom of movement, intellectual property rights and changes to VAT rules.

The guide comes amid speculation that a no-deal Brexit is increasingly likely, following Parliament’s overwhelming rejection of a deal put to it by Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this month.

Recommendations

The document draws attention to Government assurances that successful bids made before 2020 for funding through EU programmes will be guaranteed over the project’s lifetime – provided such funding is registered with the Government.

It provides advice on specific funding streams – including European Regional Development Funds and Creative Europe – and suggests funding recipients mitigate against financial shocks by modelling the impact of changes to visitor numbers, donations or corporate hire.

The guide also recommends that organisations:

• Inform any EU nationals they employ about the need to register on the Government’s settlement scheme
• Evaluate the impact of goods or items being delayed at borders, and think about ways to minimise reliance on such routes
• Consider implementing alternative methods of transferring personal data from the EU to the UK to avoid delays as a new data flow agreement is determined
• Consider legal advice on how the potential exhaustion of intellectual property rights could affect operations – particularly on the potential need to secure the rights holder’s consent to export intellectual property to the EU.

ACE also signposts Government advice on broadcasting and on-demand services, and potential changes to tax relief in the event of no deal.

Preparation

“It is important arts and cultural organisations are prepared for the possibility of a no deal scenario,” commented Laura Dyer, ACE Deputy Chief Executive for Places and Engagement. “As the development body for the arts, museums and libraries we want to do all we can to help them do that. 

“This guide puts all the current relevant Government advice in one place and explains which might be relevant for different organisations. I hope it will help organisations decide what actions to take in preparation for a no deal outcome.”