'The Creative Community Has Been Stood Down & Overlooked': Alex Lahey's Open Letter To PM

Melbourne artist Alex Lahey has shared an open letter today calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Federal Government to provide greater financial support for the Australian live performance and arts sectors. 

Lahey, who has been vocal about the need for support for artists and industry since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, is calling for the Federal Government to introduce a government-backed insurance scheme for promoters and artists, as well as a wage subsidy program for the sector.

"Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have known and acknowledged that the arts and entertainment industry would be the first to go down and the last to come back. Despite this awareness, very little has been done by our Federal Government to prop up this multimillion-dollar, world class commercial sector, which finds itself decimated after a year and a half of closure with no end in sight," wrote Lahey. 

"As the demise of the arts and entertainment industry continues, coupled with a proven inadequate vaccination rollout, I want to ask the Federal Government, what is the roadmap for providing support to the entertainment sector?

"Tens of thousands of gigs are cancelled with every month that passes. The necessary snap lockdown strategies, in particular, bring a complete lack of ability to plan and budget for gigs and events, causing collective mental health and confidence to continue to slip with every postponement and cancellation."

READ MORE: Music Industry Brainstorms Solutions As Govt Fails To Provide Roadmap Out Of COVID

Lahey goes on to reference the Federal Government's RISE funding scheme citing a letter from Lost Motel's Sophie Kirov written to Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher. 

“In the four rounds of [RISE] funding, Contemporary Live Music specifically has received $44 million in funding across 69 tours, events and festivals. To date only 10 of these have been seen to execution, with the event occurring and suppliers and crew paid; representing a mere $6 million. Of the remaining $38 million that has been allocated to Live Music, those funds sit untouched in the bank accounts of the Promoters of cancelled, postponed, or entirely unannounced beneficiaries while our Industry crumbles," read the letter. 

"Only 3% of the total $200 million RISE Fund pool has been disseminated downstream to Live Music businesses."

Read the full letter below. 

Open Letter From Alex Lahey 

16 August 2021

The Hon Scott Morrison MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

RE: Roadmap for providing support to the entertainment sector

Dear Prime Minister,

My name is Alex Lahey and I’m a Melbourne based musician.

Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have known and acknowledged that the arts and entertainment industry would be the first to go down and the last to come back. Despite this awareness, very little has been done by our Federal Government to prop up this multimillion-dollar, world class commercial sector, which finds itself decimated after a year and a half of closure with no end in sight.

As the demise of the arts and entertainment industry continues, coupled with a proven inadequate vaccination rollout, I want to ask the Federal Government, what is the roadmap for providing support to the entertainment sector?

Tens of thousands of gigs are cancelled with every month that passes. The necessary snap lockdown strategies, in particular, bring a complete lack of ability to plan and budget for gigs and events, causing collective mental health and confidence to continue to slip with every postponement and cancellation. 

I have watched and listened to my friends, colleagues and peers cry in the face of the adversity and uncertainty they’ve faced for over a year. I have seen some of the most talented individuals turn their backs on what were once promising careers as performers, venue workers and crew. But despite the turmoil we face as a collective and as individuals within our industry, Federal Government promises continue to be broken and schemes have been left behind. 

The Federal grants program structure has failed to prop up our industry - the trickle-down intentions of this scheme have not come to fruition, leaving performers, crews and venues empty handed. 

To reference a letter written to The Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts by my friend and colleague Sophie Kirov of Lost Motel:

“In the four rounds of [RISE] funding, Contemporary Live Music specifically has received $44 million in funding across 69 tours, events and festivals. To date only 10 of these have been seen to execution, with the event occurring and suppliers and crew paid; representing a mere $6 million. Of the remaining $38 million that has been allocated to Live Music, those funds sit untouched in the bank accounts of the Promoters of cancelled, postponed, or entirely unannounced beneficiaries while our Industry crumbles.

Only 3% of the total $200 million RISE Fund pool has been disseminated downstream to Live Music businesses. 

The Live Music Industry operates under a payment-upon-completion model. Until the artist has performed, no associated party is paid. No management or agent commissions, no crew fees, no production supplier fees, no other businesses, except that of the Promoter.”

Additionally, the conclusion of the JobKeeper and JobSeeker scheme has neglected an entire industry that continues to be unable to keep or seek jobs for the foreseeable future.

I am calling for a Federal Government led insurance scheme and wage subsidies program for the arts and entertainment industry.

Without funds getting directly to the artists, performers and crew members throughout this crisis, the industry is eating into itself, running the risk of leaving our country void of a generation’s worth of live performance talent and crew.

As a sector made up of a rich tapestry of small businesses (all of whom pay copious amounts of tax every single financial year, might I add), we need our confidence restored. We need to know that our businesses and livelihoods are directly supported by our Federal Government to take commercial risks in order to stay afloat, even in the face of increasingly unpredictable Delta variant shutdowns.

There need to be structures in place that ensure prompt and direct reparative financial support for business and individuals in the event that gigs, tours or festivals cannot move forward due to outbreaks. Further to this, a wage subsidy system will allow for workers and performers to make ends meet during inevitable capacity restrictions as we emerge from lockdowns. This system will keep venues alive; it will keep performers on stage, it will keep crews in jobs - and most importantly, it will keep our rich, vibrant and unique performance culture flowing through the veins of our country.

The creative community has been stood down and overlooked. But it’s time for us to stand up and call out for what we need. I hope our government will listen and come to our aid.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Lahey

Lahey is the latest in a number of industry figures to call for greater support from the Federal Government, with leaders, experts and politicians speaking with The Music recently to discuss the need for a clear roadmap for the music industry out of the COVID crisis. 

As more and more big name Australian artists and industry workers are forced to take on work outside of music, the need for greater support from the Federal Government is more apparent than ever. The Green Room With Tiana Speter podcast has taken a look at the issues facing the Australian music industry a year and a half into the battle with COVID-19, speaking with industry leaders, politicians and artists about the devastating impact. Listen here.