UK COVID ARTS POLICY NOW 

We request that parliament debate the findings of the Semple Whitepaper and provide an immediate and detailed package of support for visual artists. 

We have seen the government step in with generous support for various sectors including leisure, retail, and hospitality. Sadly there is a noticeable lack of specific support for artists. 

Knowing the situation was bleak (as an artist myself impacted), I commissioned an independent piece of research (produced by IRN research in which they interviewed 730 professional artists). The resultant WhitePaper provides a detailed picture of the needs of artists at this time. It focuses not only on the financial piece but on the impact on mental health and creativity. 

Sadly the situation is bleak with 90% of artists seeing their income decline and 69% saying their mental health has deteriorated. 

We need parliament to debate Whitepaper (available from thewhitepaper.info) and to put together a pledge of meaningful support to safeguard our artists and creativity for the future. 

#TheWhitePaper demands that UK Government #SupportArtistsNow

We demand an urgent and comprehensive support package for the arts from the government. Other countries have done it and clearly, we need one too. Artists fall outside the remit of entertainment and leisure so we desperately need something specific and now. 

Please help support this. You will find various resources on thewhitepaper.info to help spread the word.