To:

Oliver Dowden MP Caroline Dinenage MP Eluned Morgan MS Dafydd Elis-Thomas MS Fiona Hyslop MSP Deirdre Hargey MLA

Darren Henley, Arts Council England Nick Capaldi, Arts Council of Wales Gerwyn Evans, Creative Wales

Iain Munro, Creative Scotland

Roisín McDonough, Arts Council ofNorthern Ireland 17 July 2020 Dear all,

Comedy has a long history of being overlooked as an artform, having never received any public funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Music, and Sport. Live comedy isn’t viewed as being equal to other art forms by funding bodies across the UK — the same funding bodies responsible for distributing this week's £1.57 billion support package.

This is despite comedy being a grassroots creative industry, which is accessible and inclusive to all, no matter your income, where you live, or your sense of humour. Ticket prices are cheaper than almost any other artform, and comedy takes place in every nation and region of the country, in dedicated spaces but also in pubs, music venues, and theatres in every town and city.

We believe that comedy is art and should be treated as such. As fans, audience members, and those who work in live comedy, we therefore ask:

1. That Comedy is treated on a par with the rest of the performing arts sector by government and funding bodies, including being given the same access to the Cultural Rescue Package.

2. For support to prevent job losses and a talent exodus from comedy, including an extension of the Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme for the Performing Arts sector, and specific recognition and support of the self employed, freelancers and sole traders who are over 70% of our industry.

3. For a clear timeline for reopening venues without social distancing. We recognise that this will be conditional on scientific advice and review from public health bodies, but the industry needs a precisely dated roadmap to work towards.

If the UK Governments do not act immediately and comprehensively to support the Live Comedy Industry, the sector will risk disappearing as an artform and cultural industry and the thousands of talented people, organisations and venues which make up the industry we love will face financial ruin.

Signed,

Live Comedy Association