12th December 2020
The Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Patrick Vallance and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Jenny Harries, have given evidence to the Science and Technology and Health and Social Care Committees. This is the latest official guidance that has been given on the vaccine rollout. Unfortunately, their evidence suggested that the optimism that has re...
12th December 2020
NOW - a message from your government to remind you of their new rules on serving alcohol and food. Read this , run a Christmas quiz or write to your MP suggesting a total UK wide lockdown for the sake of the life of the nation’s people I honestly think two weeks of lockdown would be easier to observe than this lot of complicated rule and regs. (some of the opinions expressed i...
11th December 2020
Tracy Brabin MP (Shadow Minister for Cultural Industries): Research from the creative industries policy and evidence centre has shown there has been 55,000 job losses in music, performing, and visual arts in the last six months. Our creative workers are desperate to get back, but to do so they need a safety net – Germany has just announced an indemnity fund, ind...
10th December 2020
AFO members will be aware that our Gen. Sec. was prominent in the formation of Events Industry Forum (EIF). As publishers of the Purple Guide funds raised are often awarded as grants to projects that will benefit the outdoor events industry. However, this year the directors decided to engage a parliamentary lobbyist to keep our industries work up there. During the Covid-19 crisis Bingham and Bingh...
8th December 2020
For attractions (read festivals), then sell tickets now The following update is guidance on VAT reduction, extension and yes, it does cover festivals. The guidance on reduced VAT for hospitality, holiday accommodation and attractions has been updated to reflect the extension in VAT reduction to 5% until 31 March 2021 for certain supplies relating to hospitality, hotel and holiday accommodati...
6th December 2020
That's All Sorted Then? (Maybe) As many of us are now well into planning our 2021 festivals the questions on all our lips are 'will the vaccine save most of our season?' 'Will we be able to run normally, or is it Covid-19 in ’21? We will of course keep you up to date with everything we learn from the dozens of government zoom meeting that we are tied up with. J...
4th December 2020
The DCMS Secretary of State has confirmed that from 5th December an exemption from quarantine rules for professional performing artists travelling to the UK and for those returning from activity overseas (who have upcoming work commitments) will be coming into force. Legislation relating to this will be being laid today and will come into force from 4am on Saturday. ...
3rd December 2020
I know it’s too early to get excited but you have to admit after 8 months of worrying whether our festivals will ever see the light of day again the possible prospect of the early season festivals being able to run perhaps in a limited covid safe way and the mid season and later ones getting back to near normal does begin to look promising. So whilst you ponder that bold ,and perhaps cauciou...
27th November 2020
Today, 11 November, DCMS have launched an inquiry through its select committee. They are looking into “the future of UK Music Festivals”. They would like written evidence by 9 December! AFO members are welcome to send evidence direct to DCMS and copy in the AFO office. OR send just to AFO and we will collate all responses into one report. We have been lobbying a...
25th November 2020
Music By Numbers is the flagship annual economic study by UK Music and its members that shows the UK music industry continued to grow in 2019 across every sector before the Covid-enforced shutdown hit in early 2020. The report measures the health of the music business by collating data about its contribution in goods and services to the economy. That economic contribution is known as Gross Valu...
23rd November 2020
The Government has issued its Winter Plan, which states that outdoor events such as concerts and sports will be able to accommodate audiences of up to 4,000 in Tier 1 and Tier 2 areas when the UK emerges from national lockdown on 2 December. It said in Tiers 1 and 2, live events can now resume inside and outside with capacity limits and social distancing in place. In Tier 1 the capacity limit w...
23rd November 2020
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Events (APPG) has now been re-established as an official APPG in Parliament following the appointment of a new chair and vice chair. The Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP, Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet, will be the new Chair of the APPG. Villiers takes over from James Heappey MP, who was Chair for four years, until his appointment as Minister for the Ar...
23rd November 2020
Government officials have always tried hard to be clear. Ministers will often be heard saying "let me be very clear". So if you fancy a sing here is the clear guidance. o Singing takes place only in larger well-ventilated spaces, or outdoors. o Performance or rehearsal is for limited periods of time at a reduced level of loudness, using microphones for amplification if available. o ...
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20th November 2020
Field work for the latest consumer sentiment tracker was conducted last week 9-13 November, in this we can see the negative force of England’s lockdown, but also the positive news around the prospect of effective vaccines being available in the near future. Some key points include: People’s moods have received a lift – there is a very significant decline in the proportio...
16th November 2020
We are presenting a series of webinars and safety support for AFO Members to manage COVID 19 safe festivals, with event safety specialists, Symphotech, to run December 12th, January 9th and at our member's conference on February 20th. Specifically, the legislative area will be England. Producing our festivals will be complicated in 2021. These free to attend Recover & Reopen webinars ai...
9th November 2020
There are grants and support packages coming out of our ears these days. Along with several other organisations, AFO has been lobbying HM Gov. for funds in all quarters, some we have been successful others not so. This one MAY be of use to some of our AFO members. Read more here...
5th November 2020
FUNDS ARE NOW AT YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL OFFICE Guidance has just gone out on accessing the £1.1bn of funding to Local Authorities to support businesses during lockdown. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-restrictions-support-grants-lrsg-and-additional-restrictions-grant-arg-guidance-for-local-authorities?fbclid=IwAR0El71Y9l_rGzqP5ow0Gl3yCpf...
27th October 2020
The "Working Safely During Coronavirus Covid 19" guidance for people who work in performing arts, including arts organisations, venue operators and participants has been updated https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/performing-arts?fbclid=IwAR19e7rj9XuE--LrbVXAxX2RVpjWAshVTLdRoAi5xiY45is2q5NWsAMSusY#arts-3-2 ...
17th October 2020
Background Following the last minute cancellation of the Southampton Boat Show in September – a smaller version of the normal event – by Southampton City Council, the Forum sought advice from a leading barrister who specialises in licence issues, Phillip Kolvin QC. The following is a brief outline of his advice in relation to the use of Regulation 5(1) of The Health Protection (C...
13th October 2020
Updating guidance launched today (13th October 2020) includes contributions from across the festival industry working in collaboration with DCMS and Public Health England. Newly published festival guidance around Covid-19 will assist festival organisers, safety advisory group members, local directors of public health and other industry parties in assessing risk levels and planning fes...
