UK Government Pledges ‘Full Commitment’ To Tear Down Touring Barriers
Speaking at the inaugural event of the Cultural Exchange Coalition (CEC) at the EU Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday, March 24, the UK’s Culture Minister Ian Murray promised the “full commitment” of the UK government to remove the barriers to touring the EU and UK.
He also said there was “very much a will to try and find a way through this” and to tear down obstacles to touring.
The CEC launched in December 2025 as a coalition of individuals and organizations from across the UK and EU that create, support and sustain culture and creativity; to support and promote the shared benefits of cross-border cultural collaboration.
In his EU speech, Murray warned that without action on touring there was a risk it would not be possible to nurture the artists of the future to follow in the footsteps of global UK stars like Adele and Dua Lipa.
He said, “There is a real political will both from the UK side and from the EU side to try and find some solutions to this because we have heard this is not just a UK issue, this is a European-wide issue.
“There’s very much a will to try and find a way through this – and to do it as quickly as we possibly can.
“We know how difficult it is in terms of touring and how difficult it is in terms of costs and the additional costs have become prohibitive.
“So, there’s a full commitment from our side in terms of the UK government to fulfil the commitment in the EU and UK Summit to fulfil the aspirations of the Cultural Compass and to make sure we can have all our artists – whether it be UK artists in Europe or European artists in the UK – as seamless as possible.
“Cultural exchange is hugely important not only for us to tell our own stories but also tell each other’s stories, to learn from each other. If we lose that, we’ll be much diminished particularly with the geopolitical situation at the moment.
“There are forces out there that want to retell the story and culture gives us the way in which we maintain our history and tell the story about today and the future. So, there’s a full commitment from the UK government to try and resolve these issues.”
The CEC’s inaugural 24 March event at the European Parliament also featured a panel discussion dubbed “The importance of cultural exchange between the EU & UK”. Speakers included Lies Martens (Rosas Dance Company, Belgium), Suzanne Walker (Sadlers Wells Theatre, UK), Johannes Everke (BDKV, Germany), Joe Pointing (AdLib Audio / PLASA, UK), Davinia Galea (Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Malta), and Peredur ap Gwynedd (Musician with Pendulum, Musicians’ Union / Carry On Touring, UK).
The event was organised by CEC members, UK Music, the Musicians Union (MU), Pearle*, PRS For Music, Independent Society of Musicians (ISM), Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN), LIVE, SOLT & UK Theatre, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers(CISAC), the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) and the UK Coalition for Cultural Diversity.
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UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl commented, “From the Eurovision Song Contest to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, there is a rich tradition of creative collaboration between the UK and across the EU.
“This has boosted local economies, increased tourism, supported supply chains, as well as enabled the cultural sectors from across the continent of Europe to mentor, train, access talent and benefit from knowledge exchange. The result has been to collectively scale up and strengthen our shared competitiveness, soft power and global influence.
“While the UK may have left the EU it is still very much part of Europe, yet the current deal is not the best that we can do.
“The Cultural Exchange Coalition has come together from across Europe, and on the back of an outstanding launch in Brussels it has real momentum to win the hearts and minds to deliver on its mission. I urge the Government and Commission to build on this positive moment and strengthen the Common Understanding between the UK and EU on cultural exchange and touring artists.”
Anita Debaere, CEC Co-Chair and Director of Pearle*-Live Performance Europe, said, “Meeting colleagues from across the EU and the UK was a powerful reminder of the value of cultural exchange. We look forward to continuing a dialogue on cultural relations between the EU and the UK.”
Dave Webster, CEC Co-Chair and Head of International at the Musicians’ Union, said, “It was a pleasure to co-chair the CEC event at the European Parliament. The representatives from the EU and the UK delivered personal insights into the issues they face when touring which separately and in combination set out the opportunities within reach if we can make progress.”
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