The Incorporated Society of Musicians informs us that many EU acts and artists will have to cancel their future plans to tour the UK. A leading industry figure has warned of the huge impact the move could have on the UK’s creative arts sector – worth £111bn-a-year to the economy.

“This is taking a shotgun and shooting ourselves in the foot,” said the ‘Incorporated Society of Musicians’ Chief Executive, Deborah Annetts in an interview with The Independent. And the ISM was clear about who it blamed for the plans to restrict the movement of touring musicians.

“The Home Office has failed to grasp that touring and the creative industries are not about immigration, but are a global industry in which people move around all the time,” Ms Annetts added.

 “It’s been that way since the troubadours in Chaucer’s time – you picked up your lute and off you go.”

“This will cut the legs off the bottom half of the music industry. And what is going to happen to our small venues who have to go through this process to bring artists across from the EU?”

EU artists and road crews can currently travel between EU countries and the United Kingdom without a work permit or visa. But from January 2021 they'll need to go through the application process for a Tier 5 aka Temporary Worker – Government Authorized Exchange visa. This will incur a cost of £244 for each individual.

The majority of applicants will also have to prove they have just under £1,000 in savings 90 days before applying so they can support themselves. They must also provide a 'certificate of sponsorship from an event organizer – who must take responsibility for them – or a letter of invitation in some circumstances'.

During and towards the end of this conflict between the UK and EU there’s bound to be collateral damage including musicians. Live gigs and/or mini tours will become something seriously out of reach for musicians and small groups outside of the UK. Already, event organizers’ interest has dropped to its lows since everyone’s concern over the matter is apparent and a solution to this issue doesn’t seem to be on the table.

Unfortunately, this headache inducing matter ranks low on priority since major issues (vital to a smooth Brexit) between the UK and EU remain unsolved. Once again, music is left behind and gets turned into a victim of political expediencies while its large music market suffers by becoming inaccessible to the average musician.