Nick Cave and Rufus Wainwright sign letter warning UK could be "cultural wasteland" post COVID-19

Johnny Marr, PJ Harvey, Paloma Faith, Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua, and many others have signed the letter addressed to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.

The letter calls for urgent funding for the creative industries that have been hit especially hard during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and was organised by the Creative Industries Federation (CIF).

According to Variety, the letter was made public after the CIF conducted a survey of creative organisations and freelancers. The stats revealed that 50% of their survey participants have already lost all of their income, and only one in seven have money to last until the end of this month.

The letter reads, "We cannot allow the UK to lose half of its creative businesses and become a cultural wasteland. The creative industries are one of the UK’s biggest success stories, previously growing at five times the rate of the wider economy. The creative sector will also be critical to driving the U.K.’s economic recovery - and transforming lives for the better - as we re-build."

Caroline Norbury, CEO of the CIF said, "With venues, museums and cinemas closed, film shoots postponed and festivals cancelled, the UK’s world-leading creative industries are in deep trouble.

She adds, "Creative organizations and professionals need cash, and they need it now. Whilst government support measures for businesses and the self-employed are welcome, we know that there are still thousands of creative organizations and freelancers who are falling through the gaps, and who simply will not get through this crisis without urgent cash support."