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COVID-19: Stars including Olivia Colman call for a “tax on gadgets” to fund the arts | Ents & Arts News

Olivia Coleman and Imelda Staunton are among dozens of leading artists calling for a tax on tech devices to help boost creative industries struggling to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

The arts industry has been hit hard by COVID-19[female[feminine.

It accounts for £ 10.8 billion a year for the UK economy, but the coronavirus The crisis has caused the closure of sites, the cancellation of events and endangered thousands of jobs.

Organizers behind the proposal say the Smart Fund could raise up to £ 300million per year from payments of between 1% and 3% of the value of sales of gadgets, including cellphones , laptops and PCs.

The money generated would go into a central fund that would be used to “fairly reward creators and artists who make a living from their content,” they say, and to stimulate the economy at large.

Similar programs – made up of groups representing visual artists, writers, performers and directors – exist in 44 countries, according to the Smart Fund.

Funders include Oscar winners Bafta and Turner, including The Crown Colman star, actress Vera Drake Staunton and artists Sir Frank Bowling, Rachel Whiteread and Yinka Shonibare.

Gilane Tawadros, Executive Director of the Design And Artists Copyright Society (DACS), one of the groups supporting the Smart Fund, said: “By working with the tech industry and innovators in this sector, we want to support creators and performers, to rebuild and enable the UK’s premier cultural heritage, tourism and creative industries and contribute to its soft power and international reputation.

“The arts are fueling the engine room of cultural regeneration, recovery and renewal for the whole country.”

Shonibare said, “The Smart Fund is a given. Currently, there is no effective way for creators to be rewarded when their work is uploaded and stored by the public.

“This remains one of the biggest untapped opportunities for creators and performers.

“The Smart Fund …

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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-06-29 04:50:00

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