Open letter - A call to support the arts from across the EU and the UK

Together with over 550 representatives of music and theatre – including artists, creative professionals, and technical workers – we co-signed an open letter by UK Music calling for stronger cultural ties between the European Union and United Kingdom. Addressed to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the letter calls for urgent collective action and robust support for the cultural sector. 

The upcoming 19 May summit in London presents a key opportunity to prioritise cultural exchange and cooperation. While defence and security play an important role in the current geopolitical context, culture must also be placed at the core of an EU-UK relationship that will benefit audiences, artists and venues in the EU and the UK.  

We believe that cultural exchanges and cooperation between the EU and UK is essential, by bringing people together and empowering communities through creativity.  

As a platform supporting the international circulation of emerging European artists, we advocate for overcoming barriers that hinder cultural exchange. Brexit has intensified these challenges—for example, our UK member Village Underground can no longer fully participate in Liveurope activities and we are no longer able to support UK artists to play in our venues —underscoring the urgency of restoring closer ties. Read the full letter here.