Creative United is one of 52 signatories on Making Music letter to DCMS regarding guidance on performing arts

Creative United is one of 52 signatories on Making Music’s letter to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden, asking for renewed thinking on the current guidance for amateur or leisure-time groups.

The guidance, published on 9 July, prohibits amateur groups or groups with amateur participants – unlike professionals – to play or sing together, except in the numbers of people currently allowed to meet in public.

The guidance (England only) will only be reviewed when the results of just commissioned research into droplet and aerosol transmission of Covid-19 are available. The Scottish and Welsh Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive are expected to issue similar guidance shortly (Wales: this week, Scotland: next two weeks, NI: n/a).

The letter and accompanying campaign argue that there is no explanation why amateurs are being treated differently to professionals in this guidance and ask that leisure-time music groups be subject to the same rules as the professionals. In the devolved nations no guidance has yet been issued, so the campaign also consists of writing to ask that guidance there refrain from making that unjustified and disappointing distinction.

The campaign is also running on social media. Use #BringBackMyChoir #BringBackMyBand and share this video.