From Shakespeare to The Rolling Stones and the late great Maggie Smith, Britain has always had a particular penchant for creating the stories, sounds and sights that have captured global imagination. Unfortunately, if Shakespeare was living in contemporary Britain and wished to re-enact Merchant of Venice in situ, he would be running the risk of being removed for overstaying his 90-day visa. The world may be but a stage, but British artists are being barred from playing their part.
The creative sector is one of the fastest growing global industries, with the Policy Circle estimating it’s worth at a staggering $985 billion, producing over $2 trillion in revenue and 50 million jobs across the globe. Even more impressively, Deloitte has recently estimated that the industry is ripe for rampant growth, predicting a 40% growth over the next 6 years. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rewrites the playbook for all industries, it has been suggested that those more creative sectors such as the arts may be the most resilient and therefore uniquely profitable.
'such feats of creative achievement are only made possible by the bedrock of local and national theatres, comedy clubs and gig venues. It is these grassroots foundations that Brexit is shaking'
Britain’s rich history of creativity has allowed it to punch well above its weight culturally and economically. Creative UK found that the industry represents around 6% of the British economy, employing 1.8 million individuals and contributing £125 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy. Take a look at any Hollywood film and you are likely to see a cohort of British creatives at the pinnacle of the industry, from Guy Ritchie to Christian Bale and Emerald Fennell continuing to fly the Union Jack across the pond.
But such feats of creative achievement are only made possible by the bedrock of local and national theatres, comedy clubs and gig venues. It is these grassroots foundations that Brexit is shaking, the Music Venue Trust announced that across 2023 around 2 music venues a week were being closed, whilst the Theatres Trust outlines 39 theatres currently at risk of closure or demolition including the 1787 Theatre Royal in Kent and the 1897 Brighton Hippodrome.
Brexit has had a remarkably damaging effect on the arts industry in Britain. Issues surrounding staffing particularly affect the industry, whether that be the difficulty of hiring hospitality staff to work at the venue (vacancies have risen by 72% since Brexit), or indeed in terms of attracting EU based talent to take part in productions (which accounted for 8% of performing arts employees in 2019). Brexit has created shortages in staff and skills across the sector.
'constriction of these kinds of European opportunities for British creatives is yet another form of economic and cultural isolationism enforced by Brexit.'
Britains Creative Industries have been hampered further still by increasingly expensive and bureaucratic barriers to entering the European Union. A study by the Independent Society of Musicians found that 47.4% of musicians have fewer working opportunities in the EU than before Brexit. Even more galling, 39% had to turn down opportunities due to issues surrounding their visa and other administrative costs with the mean loss of earnings £43,175 per person. Previous research by Best for Britain has found that there was a sharp decrease in the number of British acts performing at European Festivals in 2022 and 2023, however the situation was improved in 2024.
It’s a similar picture for theatre productions, in 2021 the National Theatre halted their famed and fruitful European Tours due to the increase in costs associated with the new Brexit travel regulations. A spokesperson for the company, lamenting the decision, called the continuation of the tour ‘financially unviable’. Such a constriction of these kinds of European opportunities for British creatives is yet another form of economic and cultural isolationism enforced by Brexit.
This is why at Best for Britain we believe that Britain and the European Union should sign a Visa Waver Agreement for Cultural Workers which would enable the kind of cultural exchange between the UK and the EU that Brexit has put at risk. Such an agreement will improve the ability of the British and European Union creative sectors to pursue economic and social growth. A stronger cultural relationship with Europe, a stronger creative industry and supporting British talent is Best for Britain.
'a Visa Waver Agreement for Cultural Workers would enable the kind of cultural exchange between the UK and the EU that Brexit has put at risk.'
It is important to remember the difficulty, in any case, of actors and performers to find work at the very best of times, within a competitive entertainment market, such individuals deserve our country's support to gain invaluable experiences in the UK and across Europe and the wider world. A visa waiver agreement would enable our performers to travel across the European Union, as they used to do, building those invaluable cultural ties with our neighbours and friends across the channel. The loss of opportunities for performers due to Brexit is damaging on a personal, local, national and continental level.
The British creative industry is not only an economic asset for the UK but offers an invaluable opportunity to express cultural soft power. The salience of British arts in the European market is an important way by which the United Kingdom can build bridges with our European cousins, offering opportunities for the kind of collaboration and co-operation that Brexit has undermined.
Domestically, European access offers a critical source of income and exposure for the industry, whilst it is clear Brexit has damaged the economic viability of many arts venues around the UK by constricting the supply of hospitality labour and EU talent. The arts offer a fantastic opportunity for social mobility, self-expression and community building. Britain must not sit idly by as Brexit regulations strangle the sector and reduce our cultural standing on the world stage.