UK government toughens criteria for touring grant following Kneecap "controversy"

The UK government has ramped up criteria to apply for its latest round of artist funding following controversy around a grant that was set to be awarded to Kneecap in 2023, Arts Professional reports.

Earlier this week, the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) opened for applications, which will see £1.6 million distributed in grants of £5,000 to £50,000 to musicians across the UK, hoping to help alleviate the costs of touring.

Arts Professional report that the application process has been “beefed-up” for the latest funding round, asking those who apply to make “self-declarations” as to any activities that might bring the scheme into “disrepute”.

Mixmag merch is here: Shop the collection 

Applicants must undergo verification checks and a review of artist’s social media profiles, which will be carried out by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), AP reports.

It follows controversy around a previous round of funding in late 2023, when Kneecap were provisionally shortlisted to receive a £15,000 grant, which was later withdrawn after Tory MP Kemi Badenoch argued that the Belfast trio “oppose the United Kingdom itself".

Kneecap said at the time that their 2019 ‘Farewell to the Union’ tour poster “pissed off the Tories”, leading to their grant being revoked.

Read this next: UK government acted “illegally” in withholding funding from Kneecap, court rules

They later took the case to a court in Belfast, which ruled that the British government acted “illegally” in withholding significant funding from the trio. Kneecap then donated those funds to two Belfast-based youth organisations promoting Irish language culture amongst young people.

The current scheme – which is open for applications until December 15 – will not allow those who have “breached the Equality Act 2010 or Human Rights Act 1998” to apply, per criteria laid out by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). 

It also noted that applicants with convictions for criminal activity such as terror offences, violence, fraud, corruption, or sexual offences would be rejected, per AP.

[Via Arts Professional]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter