Labour pledges £1 billion in arts funding
“Every Adele or Stormzy has to start somewhere”
Labour has announced plans to create a £1 billon Cultural Capital Fund for investment in the arts amid warnings that Brexit will shackle the creative industries.
During a visit to Hull, party leader Jeremy Corbyn said Labour wanted to help more people access their creativity, whether it’s in film, theatre, music or arts.
Corbyn said: "We want to unleash the potential of every young person, not just through education but also through culture.
"In every one of us there is a poet, a writer, a singer of songs, an artist. But too few of us fulfill our artistic ambition."
Later, Corbyn tweeted about the music industry's contribution to the British economy.
The money will come from Labour’s proposed National Transformation Fund, which aims to upgrade the economy with £250bn over the next decade. The party says the funding will "help the UK protect its status as a creative and cultural hub in the digital age".
Labour, which says the the creative industries would be at the centre of its negotiations when leaving the European Union, is also promising to protect and invest in grassroots music venues.
Corbyn said that planned laws would be re-evaluated to protect them from developers and £1000 pub relief fund would be extended to venues struggling with rising rent.
[Photo: Stefan Heinrichs]