It could be a long and hard winter ahead for us musicians, according to research by Help Musicians UK. The cost of living crisis, alongside other factors including the ongoing impact of the pandemic and Brexit, is having a "brutal" impact on the UK’s musicians, with close to half saying they are "very" or "extremely" concerned they will be forced to leave the industry, whilst a further 35% are "slightly or somewhat" worried they will have to.
This is a significant increase from this time last year, when 22% said they were considering leaving, demonstrating the additional impact the cost of living crisis is having, on top of the issues they were already facing. To help address the issues, Help Musicians is today announcing a raft of additional support measures to help UK musicians to build sustainable careers within the current, incredibly challenging environment, investing £8m from its reserves in key areas.
The charity is also increasing funding to support the cost of performing and touring, helping artists to create new music and promote it, and offering business advice and mentoring from experienced industry professionals, alongside debt management and financial crisis advice. Please make use of their wonderful services and never be afraid to reach out to them, or us, if we can help. Via The Guardian