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Black Lives in Music CEO Charisse Beaumont has presented evidence to the London Assembly about racial prejudice in event licensing
By James Hanley on 06 Sep 2024
Event licensing in London is still affected by racial prejudice as the legacy of Form 696 continues to impact the UK industry, according to Black Lives in Music (BLiM).
The organisation’s CEO Charisse Beaumont gave evidence yesterday (5 September) to the London Assembly’s economy, culture and skills committee, which is investigating the strengths and weaknesses of the capital’s night-time leisure sector.
BLiM has been commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA), Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and The Musicians’ Union to research the impact of policies and interactions with the police, councils, venues and promoters on Black, Asian and ethnically diverse music events.
Form 696, the controversial risk-assessment document that critics claimed discriminated against grime and other predominantly Black music, was abolished in November 2017. However, BLiM – which has been gathering data and stories – has found that its legacy still affects the business, with events often either cancelled or subjected to onerous conditions due to racial bias.
“In one case a large venue called an artist on the day of the event to say they had researched them on the internet and they play hip-hop,” said Beaumont. “They feared they would lose their licence, so cancelled the performance. There are other stories of large venues receiving calls from the police advising them to stop a performance.
“Imagine a small venue or promoter receiving that call, who don’t have the contacts with police and councillors to object. This is what Black and Brown entrepreneurs, promoters and artists face every single day.”
BLiM and The Musicians’ Union wrote to London mayor Sadiq Khan last year to raise its concerns about barriers in the industry, leading Khan, the city’s night czar Amy Lamé, BLiM, the MU and LIVE to establish The Race Equality in Music Event Licensing (REMEL) project.
“There are serious barriers to being an entrepreneur for certain communities”
“There are serious barriers to being an entrepreneur for certain communities,” added Beaumont. “There was a Bollywood event that was closed down by a licensing officer, just because they could. The organisers lost months of revenue and it destroyed their lives.
“Black and Brown people have a right to work – how much are these cancellations costing the night-time economy?”
In addition, BLiM found inconsistencies in licensing decisions across different boroughs, with some demonstrating a “risk-averse approach” towards BAME applicants and events. It emphasised the need for “fair and transparent communication” between the police and licensees to ensure accountability and prevent unnecessary event cancellations.
The research will be used by REMEL to develop recommendations and work with all partners as part of their London Race Action Plan, councils, and the music industry to identify best practice, share learning and take action.
BLiM, which has launched a survey, YourSafetyYourSay, to address Bullying and Harassment in the music industry. recently stepped up the effort to diversify major orchestras in the UK with the announcement of a landmark agreement for a 10 Point Orchestral Plan, introduced by BLiM, Musicians’ Union (MU) and Association Of British Orchestras (ABO).
It will also stage Classically Black, a symposium one-day event exploring the cutting edge of classical music at King’s Place, London on 19 October.
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