London Mayor, Deputy Prime Minister, and others gather with Charisse Beaumont at a government meeting table
In a significant move to bolster the British night-time economy, the government has announced new measures aimed at reducing red tape in the hospitality and leisure sectors. The announcement was made following a roundtable held at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London's Soho, where key discussions focused on addressing discriminatory licensing practices.
The roundtable, led by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, saw Charisse Beaumont, CEO of Black Lives In Music, advocate for the removal of such barriers that disproportionately impact Black and Asian-led events in the UK's night-time economy. Beaumont expressed encouragement at the government's steps to address these barriers to growth.
Beaumont's organisation, Black Lives In Music, leads the REMEL Survey, a research initiative commissioned by the Mayor of London. The survey addresses over-policing and discriminatory licensing practices in the UK live music industry. It has uncovered instances of last-minute cancellations and patterns of discrimination, including cultural venues with predominantly Black and Brown music programming being unable to secure longer operating hours.
The REMEL initiative also examines the lasting impact of Form 696, a discontinued form that required promoters and venues to state the expected ethnic makeup of an event's audience for licensing decisions. However, direct evidence of UK government initiatives specifically addressing discriminatory licensing in the night-time economy music venues and their impacts on diverse artists and programming could not be confirmed from the current data.
Despite this, the issue of systemic discrimination is acknowledged as a structural issue influenced by government policy and economic conditions. This suggests that efforts to address discrimination in music venue licensing would likely be part of broader government frameworks aimed at reducing systemic barriers.
In a statement, Beaumont expressed that the roundtable offers a significant chance to connect the REMEL Survey with the government's new initiatives to reduce red tape in the hospitality and leisure sectors. She stated that the discriminatory licensing practices documented by BLIM directly impact the economic viability of music venues showcasing diverse artists and programming.
The REMEL Survey was launched with the support of the Musicians' Union, UK Music, LIVE, and the Mayor of London. As the government's new measures unfold, it remains to be seen how they will address the complex issues of systemic discrimination and licensing practices in the UK's night-time economy.
- In the UK's night-time economy, the new government measures address red tape in both hospitality and leisure sectors, targeting their hospitality and leisure businesses.
- Charisse Beaumont, CEO of Black Lives In Music, is leading the REMEL Survey, which investigates over-policing and discriminatory licensing practices in the UK's entertainment industry, focusing on music.
- Politics and policy-and-legislation are key components in the ongoing efforts to combat systemic discrimination related to music venue licensing, considered a structural issue influenced by economic conditions.
- The upcoming government initiatives to reduce red tape in business sectors include the hospitality and leisure sectors, potentially impacting the economic viability of entertainment venues and diverse artists in the general-news sphere.
