Appeal to reopen outdoor music performances in Walsall
A plea has been made to Walsall Council bosses to open up outdoor venues for live music to help struggling musicians make ends meet.
The Musicians Union (MU) said lockdown restrictions as a result of coronavirus have hit performers hard due to work drying up and members being forced to seek alternative employment.
Stephen Brown, regional organiser for the MU, said he had written to local authorities urging them to reconsider restrictions in place on bandstands and other venues to give a much-needed boost to the industry.
He said they wanted to see live music safely return for the benefit of musicians, venues and the wider economy as well improving health and wellbeing.
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Earlier this year, Walsall Council cancelled events due to be held at the Arboretum, Palfrey Park and Willenhall Memorial Park amidst concerns large numbers would attend, making it impossible for social distancing.
While the authority said it won’t be lifting those restrictions, it will consider allowing smaller events to take place.
Mr Brown said: “We want the councils to be a bit more proactive in terms of opening up public open spaces to performance.
Relaxed
“There are very few places at the moment that musicians can perform in and at least if they start to open up public spaces and be a bit more relaxed about it, it will get musicians back to work.
“You don’t have the same health risks outdoors as you do inside, providing people are still observing social distancing rules.
“Musicians need to get back to work, it needs to be done in the safest way possible and this is the first step back to doing that.
“This is about your ordinary working, jobbing musician. They aren’t rich or famous – the vast majority earn less than the minimum wage.
“We know members have had to go out and get jobs – nearly 40 per cent of our members in the MU didn’t qualify for the job retention scheme or for self employed scheme either.”
Councillor Stephen Craddock, portfolio holder for green spaces at Walsall Council said: “Whilst the recent lockdown measures have reduced the rate of infection, as we move through the summer months towards the winter season, this rate could easily increase again.
“We simply cannot ignore this, or the risk that it still carries to public health.”
“To support this, no council park and green space event of more than 100 people is currently permitted.
“However, the council may consider bandstand event applications where there is a guaranteed attendance of less than 100 people and where the proposed event has been subject to a full council managed Covid-19 risk assessment.
“If local musicians and artists are interested in performing any in any of our parks and green spaces they would need to complete a council application and risk assessment that is fully compliant with the current government Covid-19 safety measures.
“We do not permit busking on our green spaces sites and there are no plans to relax this.”
