New Visa Rules Threaten Culture

Arts industry representatives told the U.K. minister for borders and immigration that the main problem with the new visa rules is that most people don’t understand them.

The National Campaign for the Arts (NCA) told Phil Woolas MP that embassy officials around the world aren’t familiar with the requirements of the new “points based” system and are therefore providing incorrect advice and information.

Six delegates from the NCA, an independent lobbying organisation representing all the arts, also told Woolas that the IT system that was introduced to support the new regs can’t cope with the high turnover of artists entering the U.K., causing considerable administrative and cost hurdles for the sector.

The upshot is the problems are creating what an NCA statement called the “gradual erosion” of U.K. cultural life, as more acts decide the difficulties with obtaining entry visas are too onerous to justify the effort and cost.

The NCA and the Society of London Theatre have already been told that musicians from Western Africa and a producer of a show with performers from India and Sri Lanka are looking at whether it’s worth touring the U.K. in the future.

“There are some simple measures the Home Office could take to improve the IT systems and thus the experiences of arts organisations and promoters when using the system,” said Paul Fenn of Asgard, the rep for the Concert Promoters Association and Agents Association. “If it worked properly it would be a good system for us,” he said, pleased that the minister has said he’ll deal with the issues as a priority.

“The potential threat to our cultural life is not exaggerated,” said NCA director Louise De Winter. “The minister was very receptive to our concerns and gave us a sympathetic hearing.

“He was keen to stress that he wanted to remove problematic hurdles and that he wanted to be flexible and responsive.”

Ruth Jarratt of the Royal Opera House said the new system makes it hard to substitute an artist at short notice if someone falls sick.

“It’s hard to ensure we can put a replacement artist on the stage, running the risk of canceling a performance and losing approximately £250,000 into the bargain,” she explained. “We were seeking the minister’s assurances that these issues would be dealt with swiftly and sympathetically on the very few occasions they arise.”