Income

A campaign to ensure artists get 100% of merchandise income at gigs has received the backing of the Musicians’ Union.

Featured Artists Coalition’s 100% Venues initiative is encouraging venues not to take any commission fees from the sale of band t-shirts and other merchandise.

This revenue has become increasingly important for artists, as the costs of touring continue to rise.

The 100% Venues initiative is developing a directory of venues that pledge not to take any commission on sales.

Musicians’ Union National Organiser Kelly Wood said the growing number of venues that have signed up to the initiative “sends a very strong and positive message to artists”.

She added: “We hope that this leads to more pressure for other venues to improve their terms and get behind the campaign.”   

FAC CEO David Martin said that many performers “are facing an almost impossible task to keep the show on the road”.

“That is why the issue of merchandise commission has become so pronounced and why we will continue to fight for a fairer settlement for artists.” 

The closing date for a government scheme allowing museums and galleries to claim a VAT refund has been extended by two months.

The scheme, which has been running since 2001, is open to any museum or gallery that provides free access to the public for at least 30 hours a week. It last accepted new applicants in 2018/19.

Institutions eligible for the scheme are entitled to a refund on VAT incurred on goods and services purchased in order to facilitate free admission. The scheme reopened for applications in October, with an original deadline of 3 January 2023.

The closing date has now been extended by two months to 5pm Wednesday 1 March 2023.

London's Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is hoping to plug its annual funding shortfall with a renewed focus on live performances and club nights that finish at 6am.

Speaking to The Guardian, Turner Prize-winning artist and ICA chair Wolfgang Tillmans said new ICA director Bengi Ünsal's programme for the West End venue will “make people aware that there is this spot in the most established place in London that is underground, progressive and also has a really late license.”

Tillmans added that the intention is “to put the ICA back on a sustainable footing with a new mix of programming that brings back evening audiences and activates the bar and uses the late license that we have.”

"Ultimately", said Tillmans, "the goal of initiatives such as a partnership with the ticket app Dice is to make ICA self funding."

The venue currently receives 21% of its funding from Arts Council England, which amounted to £862,441 last year, but Tillmans says that “there’s a shortfall every year”.

Ünsal joined the West End venue from the Southbank Centre, where she was head of contemporary music and in charge of the annual Meltdown festival.  She replaced Stefan Kalmár, whose five years in charge saw programming centred on the visual arts.