September 9th 2020 - Campaign

It isn’t scrounging.

It isn’t just “having a laugh at our expense”.

It could easily be a power for good.

In her revolutionary proposal ‘Doughnut Economics’ the concept of Universal Basic Income is best described by Kate Raworth as “direct investment in the potential of every woman, man, and child” (page 200).

Why does the entertainment industry need this type of support?

Here’s a question:

How long could you go without all of these items: music, films, tv, theatre, computer games? A couple of days? A week? A two week holiday at a push?

The problem is that entertainment has become such a natural part of our lives, it shares the same casual acceptance as water, gas, and electricity.

You don’t gasp in awe when you turn on a tap, switch on a light, or quickly cook a meal. But you should, it’s an amazing thing that happens every hour of the day and we take it for granted.

It is the same as radio, TV, or cinema. The effort that goes into making and providing our entertainment is enormous, but to most, it looks effortless. In fact, people think those that work in the entertainment industry are lucky, they have great jobs.

It’s true. When a job in entertainment goes well it is great fun. But that has hit a brick wall in 2020 and there are no traditional solutions that can solve the problem of creating work when it relies on not only working in social situations but also a paying audience.

Something new is required because...

You Can’t Sell Streaming At A Gig

Every segment of the entertainment industry, especially those that work behind the scenes, has been hit hardest by the virus.

For musicians especially it is just another blow in a long line of modern obstacles for income generation

The main problem is selling their music. No matter what the format, no matter what the level of experience, the traditional transaction was: one album for one fee.

What the customer did with that album after the purchase was up to them, it could enlighten someone’s life, or it could stay on the shelf unplayed for the next 20 years, but the transaction had been made.

The use of the Internet has changed buying habits. CDs are still being purchased but not in the quantities of the past, vinyl is making a comeback amongst purists, but along with mp3s, all have been replaced by streaming. You can’t sell streaming at a gig, or in a shop.

Streaming depends on the listener making that commitment to listen to you right now. And when Amazon offers 60 million songs to pick from how can you compete? And when you do score a play, how can that one listen pay for your food, travel, or equipment?

With the pandemic stopping live performances along with the additional revenue from merchandise, musicians, and the industry that surrounds them, are in peril.

We All Need Universal Basic Income

A Universal Basic Income would help all musicians and workers in the entertainment industry live without stress.

It would allow them to retain their skills, create with freedom and the better they become, the more they earn and those extra earnings are taxed.

As Kate Raworth points out “The Doughtnut’s inner ring - its social foundation - sets out the basics of life on which no one should be left falling short.”

If UBI is to work, it has to be for everyone and the entertainment industry needs to be one of the driving forces behind this campaign.

The unions need to be on board, charities need to be on board, the groups that provide social care have to be pushing for this, but the entertainment industry is a great example as to why in this current climate it is essential. They need to add this to their campaigns.

More Research

Universal Basic Income on Twitter

Some Campaigns Supporting the entertainment industry on Twitter

#EventsForTheFuture

#creativeperformanceprotest

#SaveTheArts

#VoicesOfTheWestEnd

#SaveOurTheatres

#SeatOutToHelpOut

#SaveLiveComedy

#SaveOurVenues

#KeepMusicAlive

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash