On 2 March the House of Commons considered the “unprecedented pressures” placed by the Covid-19 pandemic on the cultural and entertainment sectors with Members of Parliament challenging the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the Government’s response.
Icon Chief Executive Sara Crofts wrote to Alison McGovern MP and Jo Stevens MP to commend their vocal advocacy on behalf of cultural freelancers and businesses during the debate.
McGovern highlighted how the Government is not meeting the potential of creative and cultural businesses to be a vital part of the UK’s growing economy due to inadequate support. Similarly, Stevens outlined the plight of “the excluded,” a significant group of cultural freelancers who have missed out on all Government financial aid due to ineligibility for schemes.
Icon’s letters drew attention to the challenges faced by businesses and individuals specifically in the conservation sector. For example, Sara described how while in theory individual conservators were encouraged to apply for the Cultural Recovery Fund, in practice the eligibility criteria made the process nearly impossible.
Sara offered to support both politicians’ advocacy work and provided a briefing explaining the key challenges and opportunities for recovery for conservation in more detail.
Read the letter to McGovern MP and Stevens MP.
Identifying and engaging stakeholders in the ever-evolving heritage landscape is an important part of Icon's policy work.
We engage and influence decision makers and opinion formers, such as politicians, government officials and funders to foster a favourable environment for cultural heritage and to make sure that conservation is included within the broader heritage debate.
Find out more about our policy work.
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