English PEN’s Director Daniel Gorman has joined the Creative Industries Federation and more than 400 leading creative figures in urging the UK government to provide urgent financial support for the creative industries.

The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
100 Parliament Street
London SW1 2BQ

The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer
HM Treasury
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1A 2HQ

27 April, 2020

Dear Chancellor and Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport,

We, the undersigned creative professionals and institutions, call on the government to protect the UK’s creative industries.

Our creative and cultural sector is in crisis. A Creative Industries Federation survey of 2,000 creative organisations and freelancers revealed that 1 in 7 creative organisations believe they can last only until the end of April on existing financial reserves. Only half think their reserves will last beyond June.

We cannot allow the UK to lose half of its creative businesses and become a cultural wasteland. The creative industries are one of the UK’s biggest success stories, previously growing at five times the rate of the wider economy. The creative sector will also be critical to driving the UK’s economic recovery – and transforming lives for the better – as we re-build.

We must act, and act fast.  We call on the government to implement urgent funding for creative and cultural organisations impacted by the fall-out of Covid-19.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Norbury MBE, CEO, Creative Industries Federation and Creative England

On behalf of:

Mal Abbas, Biome Collective

Mariana Abella

Shahid Ahmad

Toki Allison, Film Audience Network Inclusive Cinema

Marin Alsop, Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre, Principal Conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony, Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony

Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive, Incorporated Society of Musicians

Josh Appignanesi, Director

Paul Appleby, Director, Bristol Media

Helen Apse, Head of Culture and Wellbeing, Make It York

Ami Aripin

Thomas Armstrong, Demob Happy

Arts Emergency

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music

Michael Attenborough CBE D Litt., Theatre Director

Georgia Attlesey, Creative Producer

AudioUK

Holly Aylett, Director, UK Coalition for Cultural Diversity

Riccardo Bacigalupo

Christopher Bailey, Clerk, York Guild of Media Arts

Rosetta Bain

Duncan Baird

Maria Balshaw CBE, Director, Tate

Alison Balsom MBE

Matthew Banwell, Creative Director, Apt

Felix Barrett, Artistic Director, Punchdrunk

Carol Bartram, The Crystal Hive

Tracy Bass, Independent Producer

Alex Beard, Chief Executive, Royal Opera House

Mark Beaumont, Chairman, North West Theatre Arts Company C.I.C.

Mandy Berry, Chair, Miracle Theatre

David Betteridge

Sanjeev Bhaskar

David Bickle, Partner, Hawkins\Brown Architects

Katherine Bidwell, State of Play

Professor Anna Birch FRSA

Julian Bird, Chief Executive, UK Theatre and Society of London Theatre

Tom Bird, Executive Director, York Theatre Royal

Alan Bishop, Chair, The Place

Dan Blackett (Landshapes)

Helena Blakemore MA SFHEA, Senior Lecturer, BA Creative & Professional Writing, University of East London

Iwona Blazwick OBE, Director, Whitechapel Gallery

Claire Boissiere, Jumpship

David Bomford, Former Director, J Paul Getty Museum

Michelle Bondesio, Communications Consultant and Business Mentor

Rebecca Boulton, Prime Management

BPI

Steven Braines, CEO, The Weird & The Wonderful and He.She.They

Fiona Brand

Simon Brookes, Associate Dean (Students), Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries, University of Portsmouth

Olivia Brooking (Cassyette)

Barbara Brown, bodytao

Sam Brown, Creative Director and Producer

Lucy Brown, Founder, Women In Screen

Caroline Bruce, Designer

Simon Bryant

Andy Brydon, Curator / Director, Curated Place

Liza Buddie, Artist Manager & MMF Board Member

Amanda Budge

Belinda Budge, Vice Chair, Creative Industries Federation and Creative England

Moira Buffini, Dramatist, Director and Actor

Baroness Deborah Bull, Vice President & Vice-Principal (London), Senior Advisory Fellow for Culture, King’s College London

Sean Bullick, Managing Director, Make It York

Paul Burger, Soho Artists

Kate Burnett, Theatre Designer, Educator and Curator

Clemency Burton-Hill, Presenter, BBC Radio 3

Mellie Buse, Adastra Development Ltd

Dean Byfield

Nicky Callow, Independent Record Co

Simon Callow

Emma Cameron, Independent Producer

Angela Campbell

Jude Campbell

Sindy Campbell, Head, Film Birmingham

JC Candanedo, Photographer

Sir Nigel Carrington, Vice Chancellor, UAL

Frank Carter, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes

Hilary S Carty, Executive Director, Clore Leadership

Lucy Catherine, Writer for television, film and radio.

Nick Cave

Carl Cavers, Sumo Digital

Jane Cecchi

Simon Chambers, Director, Storm Model Management

Claire Chapeyrou-Clair, Integrated Project Director at The Communications Store

Andrew Chowns, CEO, Directors UK

James Clayton

Marley Clifton

Annabella Coldrick, Chief Executive, Music Managers Forum

Neil Constable, CEO, Shakespeare’s Globe

Anna Cook, Director, White Rabbit Marketing

Tracy Cooper, Chief Executive, Arts Depot

Simon Costin, Artist & Director of the Museum of Witchcraft & The Museum of British Folklore

Natasha Cowan, Executive Fashion Coordinator to Suzy Menkes, Editor, Vogue International

Tamara Craig, Art Collector

Creative & Cultural Skills

Gary Crosby OBE, Co-Founder, Tomorrow’s Warriors

Kim Crowther

Paul Cullen, Paul Cullen Partnerships Limited

Jamie Cullum

Culture Counts

Andy Cunning, Chief Creative Officer, JPIMedia Ltd

Sinéad Cusack, Actress

DACS

Sophie Dahl

Marcus Davey CBE, Chief Executive and Artistic Director, The Roundhouse Trust

Christa Davis, Independent Fashion Designer

Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive Officer, Design Business Association

Lucy Day FRSA, Founder Director and Curator, A Womans’ Place Project

Matthieu De Braconier, Independent Film Producer

Marcia Deakin, NextGen Skills Academy

Sara Dee

Jeremy Deller

Sarah Derbyshire MBE, Chief Executive, Orchestras Live

Philip Dobree, Founder/CEO Jellyfish Pictures

Iain Dodgeon, OKRE

Isabelle Doran, Head of Policy & Public Affairs, BAPLA

Nick Dunmur

Kirsten Dunne, Senior Manager, Cultural Infrastructure and Public Realm, Mayor of London

Matthew Dunster, Director

Baxter Dury

David Edgar, Playwright

Chris Edwards, Chair, REACH (York Cultural Education Partnership)

Tom Eggeling

Sally Elhosaini, Screenwriter / Director

Mark Elliot

Leanne Elliott Young, Founder CEO, CommuneEAST

Lena Emery

Kristina Erdely, Producer

Antonio Eugenio, Fashion Photographer

Kate Fahy

Paloma Faith

Bridget Farrands, Director, FGC

Featured Artists Coalition

Jules Fennell

Claire Fennelow, Executive Director, EVCOM

Heather Fenoughty

Di Ferrier

Conor Ferris, Narrative Management

Guy Fixsen

Tim Flach, President, Association of Photographers Ltd

Marc Fleetham, Director of Business Development & Knowledge Exchange, York St John University

Anne Fontenoy, Fine Artist and Dress Designer

Harriet Forde, President, British Institute of Interior Design

Joe Frankland, CEO, PRS Foundation

Martin Franks, Adastra Development Ltd

Simon Frederick

Jemma Freeman (Landshapes)

Steve Freeman, Executive Director, Royal Exchange Theatre

Stephen Fry

Julia Fryer

Aleksandra Funmusik

Preena Gadher, Managing Director, Riot Communications

Edward Gardner, Principal Conductor Designate, London Philharmonic and Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic

Paul Gardner, Wiggin LLP

Dr Natalie Garrett Brown, Head of Music, Writing & Performance, University of East London

Ruth Gawthorpe, CEO, Smart Working Revolution

Lilli Geissendorfer, Director, Jerwood Arts

Jonny Geller, CEO of Original Talent and Chairman, Curtis Brown

Inês Geraldes Cardoso

Luisa Gerstein (Landshapes)

Tina Gharavi, Screenwriter & Director

Rick Gibson and Iain Simons, BGI

Dan Glendining, Musician & Film Composer

Daniel Godard, Film Editor & Musician

Adam Godfrey, Demob Happy

Fiona Goh, Director, British Arts Festival Association

Sarah Golding

Katie Goode, Triangular Pixels

Daniel Gorman, Director, English PEN

Dr Ceri Gorton, Director, Bird & Gorton

Emily Gottlieb, Chief Executive, National Opera Studio

Becca Graham, Partner, Margaret_

Finian Greenall (Fink)

Rosy Greenlees OBE, Executive Director, Crafts Council

Neil Griffiths, Chief Executive, Arts Emergency

Marc J Grundy, Director

Annabel Grundy, Film Hub Midlands

Nigel Guérin-Garnett

Fanny Guesdon, Brunswick Arts

Louisa Guinness

Claire Gulliver, Arts Consultant

Krista Gurcka

Amy Gustin, Director, British Independent Film Awards

Jefferson Hack

Terry Hall, Singer, The Specials

Laura Halliday, Account Director, The Communications Store

Christopher Hampson, Artistic Director and CEO, Scottish Ballet

Lucas Harding

David Hare, Playwright

Liz Harkman, Executive Director, Bristol Festivals

Jane Harris [PhD] FRSA, Director of Research & Innovation (Stratford), Professor of Digital Design & Innovation, London College of Fashion

Hannah Harris, CEO, Plymouth Culture

Joanne Harris, Chair, Society of Authors

Adam Harrison, The Boxer Rebellion

PJ Harvey

Natalie Haslam

Craig Hassall, CEO, The Royal Albert Hall

Riette Hayes-Davies

Kerrie Hayes, Actor

Rick Haythornthwaite, Chair, Creative Industries Federation and Creative England

Lara Hayward, Lead for Arts, Heritage & Creative Industries, Oxford University Careers Service

Imogen Heap, Recording Artist, Composer, Founder Mycelia for Music and MI.MU

Karen Hedger, AIM

Jude Henderson, Director, Federation of Scottish Theatre

Ian Hetherington

Piers Hewitt, The Boxer Rebellion

Siobhan Hewlett, Director, Oyster Films

Bernard Heymann

Anne Heymann, Artist

Lindy Heymann, Film & TV Director

Caz Hildebrand

Sam Hope, Wolverhampton Cultural Compact Champion

Stephen Hough, Pianist, Composer, Writer

Andrew Hurst, Chief Executive, One Dance UK

Nadine Ijewere, Photographer

Irene Ilias

Georgia Illingworth

Janine Irons MBE, Co-Founder, Tomorrow’s Warriors

Marie-Claire Isaaman, CEO, Women in Games

Stephen Israel, Joint Artistic Director, The Company

Gabriel Isserlis, CEO, Tutti

Gina Jackson

Farrah Jaufuraully, Producer and Director

Charles Jeffrey, Fashion Designer

Paul Jenkins, Founder & Creative Director, Triple Double Studio

Natalie Jerome

Caroline Jeyaratnam-Joyner, Theatre Arts Consultant

Tim Joss, Chief Executive and Founder, Aesop

Sir John Sorrell CBE, Founder, Creative Industries Federation

Rachel Johnson, Film & TV Director

Charlotte Jones

Neil Jones

Ben Jones

Sonali Joshi, Founder & Director, Day for Night Film & Visual Arts Ltd

Brian Joyce

Councillor Judith Blake CBE, Leader, Leeds City Council

Chris Jupe, Filmmaker

Zygi Kamasa, CEO, Lionsgate UK and Europe

Roxani Kamperou

Anish Kapoor

Lotte Karlsen

Michael Keillor, Director

Oliver Kember

Jemma Kennedy, Screenwriter

Helen Kennedy, University of Nottingham

Rose Kent, Creative Director, Accessible Arts and Media

Nicholas Kent, Director

Justine Kenyon, Knowledge Exchange Coordinator, Network

Tom Kiehl, Acting CEO, UK Music

Paul Kilduff-Taylor, Mode 7 Games

Reyahn King, Chief Executive, York Museums Trust

Teresa Kirby, Partnership Manager, North East Culture Partnership

William Knight, Director, Renew

David Knight, Writer, Journalist & Editor Of Promo News

Melissa Jo Knox, Rare

Catherine Kodicek, Costume Designer and Supervisor

Hanna Kopp-Young

Lune Kuipers

Tanya Laird

David Lan

Valerie Langfield

Professor John Last OBE, Chair, ukadia and Vice-Chancellor, Norwich University of the Arts

Kelly Lee Owens

Andy Lenthall, General Manager, Production Services Association

Christian Lewis

Romaine Lillie

Gabrielle Lindemann, Kent Film Office

Ian Livingstone CBE, Co-founder, Games Workshop & Chair, Sumo Group

Katy Louis FRSA, Managing Director and Co-founder, Margaret_

Jordan Louis Day-Williams

Emma Love, Producer

Dick Lunn

Susan Lynch, Actor

Arthur Maclean, Unit 2 Games

Joelle Mae David, CEO, Bluebird Pictures

Dr Lesley Main, Head of Department of Performing Arts, Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries, Middlesex University

Anne Mannion. AOP Chair & Senior Associate , Swan Turton LLP

Matthew Marcantonio, Demob Happy

Tim Marlow, Director, Design Museum

Janine Marmot

Johnny Marr

Billie Marten

Kate Mason, Director, The Big Draw

Katie May Boyd

Patrick McCrae, Co-Founder and CEO, ARTIQ

Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director, London Symphony Orchestra

Seamus McGibbon, Executive Director, The Association of Photographers Ltd.

Paul Mckee

Gordon McKenzie, CEO, GuildHE

Lisa McMullin

Martha McNaughton, Brand & Communications Consultant

Tracey Mee

Katie Melua

Linda Merrick, Principal, Royal Northern College of Music

Ella Mesma

David Micklem, Writer, Producer and Arts Consultant

Adam Milford, Director, Theatre Workout Ltd

China Moo Young

Gillian Moore CBE, Director of Music, Southbank Centre

Darren Moore, General Manager, York Barbican

Malcolm Moore, Producer, Planispheres

Liz Moran, Director of Arts and Culture, University of Kent

Victoria Morris, Directors UK

Andrew Morrison, Chief Executive Officer, York Civic Trust

Emily Morus-Jones, Puppeteer and Puppet Maker

Rachel Moss, Consultant for Arts Education

Chloe Moss, TV & Theatre Writer

Jane Muirhead, Managing Director, Raise the Roof Productions

Martina Murphy, Director

Una Murphy, Co-founder, VIEWdigital

Pam Myers, Voice Casting & Audio Production, Rorschach

Miriam Nabarro, Artist & Set Designer

Sue Needleman, Casting Director

Ian Neil

Shelly Nel

Philippine Nguyen, Co-Founder and Director, Art Night

Nathan Nicholson

Samuel Nixon

Gabi Norland, Cinematographer

Jessica Norman

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE

Charlotte O’Connor (Charlotte OC)

Kirsty Ogg, Director, New Contemporaries

John O’Shea, Independent Artist and Associate Director (Creative), Science Gallery London, King’s College London

Anna Olejnicki, Artistic Director, Hype Dance Company Ltd

Philip Oliver

Andrew Oliver

Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE, Director, The Africa Centre

Mariem Omari, Artistic Director, Bijli Productions

Paula Orrell, Curator and Consultant

Daniele Owen (Liza Owen)

Stephen Page, Chief Executive, Faber and Faber Ltd

Sol Papadopoulos, Hurricane Films

Craig Parkinson, Actor

Adah Parris, Futurist and Storyteller, The House of Griots

Shreepali Patel, Artist

Dr Alexis Paterson, Chair, British Arts Festivals Association & CEO, Three Choirs Festival Association (CEO)

Sarah Patterson, Actor

Andy Payne OBE, Founder, AppyNation

Julia Payne, Director, the hub

Ben Pearce, Paintings in Hospitals

Nicholas Pearson, Publishing Director, 4th Estate

Olga Pedan

Mark Pemberton, Director, Association of British Orchestras

Eleanor Pender

Jon Peppiatt, Chairman, BBH Advertising

Danny Perkins, Founder, Elysian Film Group

Grayson Perry

Phoenix Perry, Code Liberation

Emma Pettit, Co-founder and Director, Margaret_

Aaron Phelan, Photographer & Digital Designer

Simon Platz, MD, Bucks Music Group Ltd.

Emma Powell, Actors Management Company

Martin Prendergast, Director of Development and Public Affairs, RADA

James Priestley, Secretsundaze

The Professional Publishers Association

Jonathan Pryce

Bryan Raven, Managing Director, White Light Ltd

Jane Rayner, Independent Cinema Office Film Hub South East

Robert Read, Managing Director, Kings Place

Richard Redman

Jonathan Reekie CBE, Director, Somerset House Trust

JC Reid, Co-founder, Skint Records

Dean Richardson, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes

Esther Richardson, Joint CEO and Artistic Director, Pilot Theatre

Rachel Richardson-Jones, Producer / Festival Director

Ian Rickson

Bob Riley​, Chief Executive, Manchester Camerata

James Roberts

Louise Annabel Robertson

Steven Roth, Executive Director, Scottish Ballet

Tim Royle

Marco Santucci, Agent/Director, Industry Art

Andrew Savill, Freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator

Nitin Sawhney, Chair, PRS Foundation

Kate Saxon, TV & Theatre Director

Sandra Schembri, CEO, Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Charity

Jeanie Scott, Director, Culture Radar

Kwesi Sey (Kwes)

Dawn Shadforth

Bryony Shanahan, Joint Artistic Director, Royal Exchange Theatre

Sandie Shaw MBE

Nicky Shaw, Freelance International Set & Costume Designer

Meriel Sheibani-Clare, Writer and Script Editor

Bijan Sheibani, Writer and Director

Francesca Sheldon

David Shelley, CEO, Hachette UK

Jeremy Shine, Artistic Director, Manchester International Arts/Streets Ahead

Cllr Darryl Smalley, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure & Communities, City of York Council

Dr Nikesh Shukla D. Litt, FRSL

Tom Shutes, Co-Director, Museum Of Everything

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Culture and the Creative Industries

Dan Simpson, Director

Marion Sinclair, Chief Executive, Publishing Scotland

Saskia Sichermann

Bob and Roberta Smith, Artist

Andrew Smith, The Boxer Rebellion

Steve Smith, TV Director and Chair, Directors UK

Richard Smithies, Unit 2 Games

Jess Smyth, Biig Piig

Nicola Solomon, Chief Executive, Society of Authors

Linda Sou

David Speed, Creative Rebels

Maria Stoica, Policy Researcher, Fashion Roundtable FRSA

Suspension Theatre CIC

Meera Syal CBE

Delyth Thomas

Dr Paul Thompson, Vice-Chancellor, Royal College of Art

Sydney Thornbury, CEO/Artistic Director, The Art House

Matthew Thornhill, Managing Director, Young Turks Management Ltd.

Phil Tidy

Carolyn Timson

Dr Delma Tomlin MBE, Director, National Centre for Early Music

Carole Tongue, Chair, UK Coalition for Cultural Diversity

Anne Torreggiani, Chief Executive, The Audience Agency

Maria Torres

Robin Townley, CEO, Association of British Theatre Technicians

Jo Townshend, Principal Partnerships Manager (Creative Sectors), UCL Innovation and Enterprise

David Toynbee, UAL

Jo Tracy

Laurie Trueman, Founder, Denude Magazine

Andrew Tunney

Heloise Tunstall-Brehrens (Landshapes)

Brett Turnbull

Owen Turner, Managing Director, United by Design

Rachael Turner, CEO, MadLab

United Agents

University of the Arts London

Elinor Unwin, Cultural Consultant, New Understandings

Professor Carole-Anne Upton, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University

Alan Vallance, CEO, RIBA

Teun van Rooij, Manchester City Council

Simon Vincenzi, Performance Artist

Harriet Vine MBE, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Tatty Devine

Hardish Virk

Ivan Wadeson, Manchester UNESCO City Of Literature

Rufus Wainwright

Nicola Walker

Professor Allan Walker, Dean, School of Arts Media and Creative Technology, University of Salford

Timothy Walker CBE AM, Chief Executive and Artistic Director, London Philharmonic Orchestra

Che Walker, Actor & Theatre Director

Deena Wallace, Director, British Independent Film Awards

Antony Waller, Freelance Fashion Producer & Special Projects PR

Jonathan Walsh, Co-Founder, Kambe Events

Annie Warburton, CEO, Cockpit Arts

Rich Warren, Director, Encounters Film Festival

Ann Watson-Thomas, Books and Games

Graham Watson-Thomas, Books and Games

Fiona Watt, Honorary Secretary, The Society of British Theatre Designers

Elizabeth Watts, Soprano

Judith Weir CBE, Composer

Sarah Weir OBE, CEO, Design Council

Laura Weir, Editor in Chief, ES Magazine and The Evening Standard

Roy Alexander Weise, Joint Artistic Director, Royal Exchange Theatre

Tom Weldon, CEO, Penguin Random House UK

Samuel West, Chair, National Campaign for the Arts

Helen Wewiora, Director, Castlefield Gallery

John Whalley, Strategic Director, Use.Space and Head of Branding, Seventy7

Luned Whelan, Executive Director, TAC

William Whelton, Executive Director, Hope Mill Theatre

Jasmine Whitbread, Chief Executive, London First

Kate White, CEO, National Centre for Circus Arts

Adam Whiteley

Dr. Jane Wildgoose

Quin Williams, Editor & Owner Of Ten Three, Independent Editing Facility

Jael Williams, Arts and Heritage Consultant

Richard Williams, CEO, Northern Ireland Screen

Ross Williams, Chief Executive, Creative Kernow

Fiona Williams, Chief Executive, Explore York Libraries and Archives Mutual Limited

Jason Williamson, Sleaford Mods

Brett Wilson

Catriona Wilson, The Petrie Museum

Dame Penelope Wilton

Elizabeth Woods

Jo Wright, Arts, Music, Creative & Digital Economy Consultant

Nick Wright, Editor

Hazel York , Head of Civic, Community and Culture Sector, Hawkins\Brown ArchitectsDan Zeff, TV and Film Writer & Director

Dan Zeff, TV and Film Writer & Director