Live Music

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of trustees of CDMT. I thank my noble friend Lord Brennan of Canton for his leadership of the fan-led review of live music. Its central message is simple: live music must work for audiences, artists and communities alike, and that starts with strong foundations.

In my home city of Newport, live music is not an abstract concept; it is part of our identity. You can hear it, see it and feel it. We have a proud musical heritage. That spirit lives on in grass-roots venues such as Le Pub, a community-owned venue that has nurtured local talent for decades while attracting touring artists from across the UK. It reminds us of a vital truth: the music industry is not built from the top down. Every headline act and every arena tour begins on a small stage somewhere.

The sector contributes billions to our economy and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, but its value goes beyond economics. Every gig supports local businesses, strengthens town and city centres, and brings communities together, but these foundations are under real pressure. Grass-roots venues face rising costs, tight margins and increasing uncertainty. For Wales, this matters profoundly. We are a nation of song, culture and community; from the Eisteddfod to the streets of Newport, music helps define who we are.

Will the Government recognise the full value of live music, not only as an economic asset but as a cornerstone of community life? Will there be meaningful support for grass-roots venues so they can survive and thrive? If we want a world-leading music industry tomorrow, we must invest in the small stages of today. A nation that values its music must value where the music begins.

Places of Worship Renewal Fund

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Thursday 25th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords, if we get this right, we will do far more than preserve historic buildings; we will protect the civic infrastructure that quietly sustains our communities every single day. If we get it wrong, we risk allowing that infrastructure to erode slowly. So I welcome the Government’s intention, and I thank the Minister for bringing this measure forward. However, intentions alone will not sustain these places. What matters now is delivery and that this proposal truly matches the scale of the reality on the ground.

This is not really about buildings. It is about whether we recognise, and are prepared to properly support, the role that these places now play as front-line providers of community support. In my own city of Newport, these are not abstract heritage assets. They are places where people go when the system is under pressure. They are where families turn to when times are hard. Increasingly, they are stepping in when others no longer can, and they are doing so largely through volunteers, through faith communities, and through people who give their time and energy without expectations of recognition.

My own church, St Woolos Cathedral in Newport—the seat of the Archbishop of Wales, the inspirational and welcoming most reverend Cherry Vann—is a place of history, a place that holds the memory and remains of the Chartists, who died in the struggle for democracy, but its significance does not end there. St Woolos is not simply a monument to our past. It is a working part of our present. It is a place of worship, certainly, but it is a place where people gather, where support is distributed, where community is built and sustained. In every meaningful sense, it is a civic asset. This coming Sunday, I shall be honoured to once again attend Newport’s Civic Sunday service, held to welcome the city’s new mayor, who this municipal year is my very good friend, Councillor Deb Harvey—the epitome of a community champion—together with the deputy mayor, Councillor Debbie Jenkins, who I know has an excellent grade in GCSE English as she is one of my former pupils.

When we talk about funding these buildings, we do not mean that they are passive structures to be preserved; they are active institutions. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has recognised that, at least in part, and has succeeded because of that recognition. It has worked because it has been straightforward, predictable and accessible. It has trusted communities to get on with the job of serving others rather than tying them up in bureaucracy.

I welcome the proposal for a places of worship renewal fund, but I say with caution to the Minister that this must not just be a rebranding exercise. It must be a real step forward. The reality is stark. The demands on these buildings are increasing, not decreasing. The question before us is simple: does this fund rise to meet that reality? Will it support not just emergency repairs but essential adaptations to make these buildings usable in the modern world—accessibility, energy efficiency and the ability to remain open as genuine community hubs? I hope it will maintain that simplicity. Most importantly, will it be funded at a level that reflects what is happening in communities like mine in Newport, where these buildings are shouldering an ever greater sense of social responsibility?

I support the direction the Government are taking. This is the moment for realism and ambition. If we are serious about strengthening communities, we must be serious about strengthening the institutions that hold them together; if we are serious about resilience, we must invest in the places that deliver it daily; and, if we are serious about fairness, we must recognise that these communities cannot continue to do more with less. I urge my noble friend the Minister to ensure that the fund does not merely continue what exists but strengthens it, to ensure that it reflects not just aspiration but the reality faced on the ground, and to ensure that places like St Woolos are not simply preserved for their past but properly supported for the indispensable role that they play today. These buildings are not just part of our heritage; they are part of our response to the challenges that we face now, and we cannot afford to let them fall in that pursuit.

EU-UK Cultural Exchange Arrangements

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Thursday 4th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The UK has made a number of arrangements with non-EU countries that are possible because we have been outside the EU, as part of our work on that since Brexit, so there are opportunities for broader cultural exchange. One of the successes of this Government’s work on culture is in some of the delegations that have taken place to non-EU countries. There has been huge enthusiasm from our sectors here for that, but also from the countries to which UK delegations have travelled.

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords, I declare an interest as the chair of trustees of the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre. Following on from the noble Lord’s question, can my noble friend give a slightly wider view? What are we going to do to support Ukraine from a cultural perspective, after it has had so many years of dealing with a dreadful war?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

My noble friend makes a valid and topical point, because in the past week there has been some publicity around some of the destruction wrought on Ukraine’s cultural landmarks. Recently, the UK and the European Commission each committed £250,000 to support cultural heritage protection in Ukraine, aimed at protecting and restoring Ukraine’s cultural landmarks. We have also discussed collaborating on the impact of artificial intelligence in the creative industries with Ukraine, facilitating international cultural collaboration and improving working conditions for creative and cultural professionals. I met the Ukrainian Culture Minister recently and discussed with her how we could work more closely to support them in their cultural recovery.

Creative Industries: Freelance Champion

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Colville of Culross (CB)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Lord Brennan of Canton (Lab)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

We will hear from the Labour Benches next, if we can please make our minds up.

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

Please could my noble friend the Minister update us on the progress of implementing the creative industries sector plan? How is DCMS addressing problems of social mobility as part of the “arts for everyone, everywhere” vision?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

Delivery of our ambitious vision is on track. Key achievements include the £150 million creative places growth fund allocated to six mayoral strategic authorities; we have secured agreement to boost music creator streaming income; we have announced the price cap to ban for-profit resale of live event tickets; and we have secured investment for three Bollywood films in the UK, which are expected to create over 3,000 jobs. We also have an increase in innovation funding of £369 million from UKRI and over £4 billion for scaling creative businesses through the British Business Bank. I am delighted to say that the Culture Secretary announced today that £1.5 billion will be invested to save more than 1,000 arts venues—museums, libraries and heritage buildings—across England from closure. These are just a few of the actions that we have taken so far.

Arts and Creative Industries: Social Mobility

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

High-quality arts education cannot be for the privileged few. To provide certainty over future funding, we are increasing tuition fee caps by forecast inflation next year and the year after. Alongside this, we continue to invest in creative arts through the strategic priorities grant, which includes support for world-leading creative institutions. We will also revitalise arts education in schools through a reformed curriculum and support for teachers.

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords, does my noble friend the Minister agree that the millions of pounds of investment announced by Cardiff-based company Bad Wolf at the summit in Newport will create thousands of creative industry jobs and support local business and talent development? The projects will include investment in trainee placements and work shadowing opportunities, which is a great example of social mobility in practice.

UK and EU Trade: Arts and Creative Industries

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Thursday 11th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords, the Welsh Government promote creative arts and education through the creative learning through the arts programme. Its aim is to integrate arts and creativity into the core of the education system, ensuring that all learners have access to creative experiences, regardless of their background. Does my noble friend agree that this is something that the UK Government could explore for young people in England?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

There are a number of ways in which the UK Government are working towards ensuring youth mobility and exchange. We are working towards association with Erasmus+ on mutually agreed financial terms with the EU. We want to ensure that any agreement reflects a fair balance between the UK financial contribution and the number of UK participants. I am aware of the work that the Government in Wales have done on this and that many young people have benefited from that programme.