Equity wants pubs and similar venues to celebrate live entertainment and persuade those places who do not currently promote it to give it a try.
Easier to put on acts
The campaign aims to highlight the new licensing laws that make it much easier for to put on acts. The key changes are:
- Live music events for which there will be 200 or fewer in the audience do not need a licence providing the live music does not take place before 8am or after 11pm
- If the music is unamplified then there is no audience size restriction
- Performances of plays or of dance up to an audience of 500 are also permitted without licensing
Equity members will soon be visiting pubs and other venues to ask them to support the Live Entertainment Works! campaign. Those venues signing up to the initiative will be celebrated on the Equity website and asked to display a poster.. The union will also be providing a guide that gives further details about the license changes and help on employing acts.
Research shows that live entertainment can increase takings and pubs that do not feature music are three times more likely to close.
Hilary Hadley, Equity’s Head of Live Performance, said: “We believe this is a win-win situation for our members and publicans. Pubs get more trade through people enjoying the live entertainment; the community benefits by joining together in a shared activity and Equity members get to do what they do best.”
Find out more about the campaign