The Smart Fund raised in House of Lords debate as potential additional income stream for creators
The Smart Fund proposal - which could generate up to £300million/year for creatives and has the potential to create new funding for arts and culture - was highlighted today by Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour) and the Earl of Clancarty, Nicholas Trench (Crossbench) in a short debate on the Impact of the Budget on arts, heritage and cultural organisations.
On the same day that the Government announced a voluntary levy on arena concert tickets to support grassroots venues, speakers urged the Government to consider the Smart Fund as a means to invest in arts and culture.
Addressing the widespread reduction in public funding for the arts, across both national and local streams, Lord Bassam said:
Money is tight. My lords, I wonder if we can explore other ways of funding to ensure long term sustainability for arts and culture. One of those might be the Smart Fund. A mechanism to compensate creatives when their original works are copied and stored on electronic devices, in place in 45 other jurisdictions. Such a scheme could fund, as it does in France, over 12,000 cultural projects a year.
Highlighting the need for arts and cultural growth, in order to support the broader creative industries, and welcoming the Government’s voluntary levy on arenas to support grassroots music venues, the Earl of Clancarty asked Lords Minister for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Baroness Twycross:
Would the Minister meet with parliamentarians and interested parties who propose the Smart Fund?
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- What is the Smart Fund?
- How DACS advocates for your rights
