Fair Play For Emerging Artists

The Association of Independent Festivals and the Musicians’ Union announced an agreement called Fair Play for Festivals that ensures emerging artists are treated fairly when entering the live business.

Association of Indepedent Festivals

The agreement is an extension of the MU’s Fair Play initiative, which serves as a guideline for artists on how to avoid getting ripped off by venue owners and promoters.

Through the new agreement with AIF, this has been extended to include festival operators. Fair Play For Festivals was announced at Festival Congress in Cardiff, which took place Nov. 5-7. The initiative address issues like remuneration (payment and fees, merchandise, riders), logistics (directions, parking, access, backstage area), promotion and details of the performance (general information about arrival, sound check, stage time etc., recording & broadcasting, unavoidable changes to the time of performance, equipment, technical requirements, electricity, insurances, accreditation).

It is particularly targeted at emerging talent, defined by AIF and MU as “artists without representation from agents, managers or other third parties.”

Paul Reed, General Manager of AIF, which currently has 55 member festivals, said: “UK festivals are one of the main incubators for emerging talent in the UK and this agreement acknowledges the importance of such artists to our members.”