The Musicians’ Union is calling on Government and Parliament to back a Musicians' Passport for musicians working in the EU post-Brexit.
The Musicians' Union has been fearful for the future of touring musicians and is petitioning government to allow the ease of movement of musicians who when on tour move from country to country over a short period of time.
The petition is currently heading towards 75k names. It says the passport specific to musicians must:
Most musicians and performers rely on touring and performing in the European Union to make a living.
Musicians visit multiple countries on tour, often jumping across borders on a daily basis, often with very little notice.
If every musician has to get a visa and carnet for every country they visit, it will make any work in Europe difficult to schedule regardless of whether they are an emerging band or a world-renowned orchestra.
Horace Trubridge, MU General Secretary and founder member of Darts, feels passionately about this: “Music and the performing arts rely on exchange of ideas and interaction between performers of different nationalities. We love working in the EU and we love artists coming over here. If musicians can't travel easily both ways, our reputation as a country that embraces all arts and culture will be severely damaged. Our members' ability to earn a living will also be severely affected”
You can read more and sign the petition for a Musicians' Passport here.
