Written Evidence Submitted by Paule Constable EU Visa and Permit
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Written evidence submitted by Paule Constable EU Visa and Permit Arrangements for Creative Workers 1. About Paule Constable I am a UK-based, British-born lighting designer working in drama, opera, musical theatre, and dance. I have won five Olivier Awards, two Tony Awards, a Helpmann Award, the Opera Award, and numerous Critics Circle Awards from New York, London, L.A. I have an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal Scottish Conservatoire and am an Honorary Fellow of Goldsmiths College, Rose Bruford College, and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. I am a Royal Designer for Industry, and an Associate Director of the National Theatre. I am also the lighting designer for some of the UK’s most successful theatrical exports in recent years, including War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and the newly redesigned production of Les Misérables. 2. My early career Internationalism and the freedom to travel have played a significant role in making me the creative freelancer that I am today. Without it, I would not have had the same opportunities to learn, to grow, and to share and create part of the cultural fabric which is inextricably linked with the UK’s national and international identity. When I first graduated, I worked as an electrician and production manager for LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre), Station House Opera, DV8, and for the Edinburgh International Festival. I spent my life touring Europe – amazing festivals of arts where I met my counterparts in Spain, France, Holland. I then joined Théâtre de Complicité, one of the UK’s most successful touring companies of the past 30 years. The majority of the acting ensemble who worked with the company had trained under Philippe Gaulier and Jacques LeCoq in Paris. The rehearsal room was full of languages. When we toured Street of Crocodiles around the world our company of actors were Spanish, Swiss, Austrian, French, and British. We took the show to every corner of the globe, and in Europe we pushed into Poland, Romania, Iceland, Spain and many countries beyond. Supported by the British Council to promote British culture, the exchange of ideas and methods of work was both exhausting and invigorating. 3. Becoming a designer As I started to design for opera, I quickly realised that in order to grow I had to travel more. There are only three major opera houses in the UK – the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, and English National Opera. Fortunately, offers of work came from across the channel, from Paris, Brussels, and Madrid. To grow I had to travel, and I was able to – with little reputation, as a beginner, I could travel and learn. In the world of UK theatre I was still considered a studio designer, yet in the international world of opera I was working at La Monnaie, the Bastille, the Champs Elysees, and more. From this I developed a fearless aesthetic which has put me at the heart of hugely successful shows, many of which were initially borne with the assistance of public subsidy. From War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Les Misérables, to the extraordinary work of Matthew Bourne – Swan Lake, The Red Shoes, Sleeping Beauty, and Romeo & Juliet. From the National Theatre production of Follies, to Billy Budd at Glyndebourne, and Ear for Eye and The Weir at the Royal Court. Through this same spirit of openness these shows have travelled the world, and now I generate employment for UK-based associates and crews who travel with them – recreating my designs and training local crews to maintain the world-beating standard for quality for which UK productions are valued. Our crews, technical personnel and creative staff are second to none. 4. My career today in the context of EU visa arrangements Today, at least 30% of my work is still outside the UK. Right now, I should be preparing to travel to Vienna to mount a production of Death in Venice – a co-production with the Royal Opera House where we originally opened the show in 2019. The show has been postponed – a mixture of Covid-19 restrictions and travel restrictions. I talk about travel specifics below, and I fear for the future UK opera. Few opera houses can mount productions alone anymore, and as the burden of paperwork and new complexities of sharing productions has increased, working with UK-based companies and designers will become less attractive for EU-based opera houses. I am also very aware that I have what can be considered an “international reputation”. While employing me may become more complex, it may still be something producers want to pursue because they know my work. How will this be possible for those without a body of work? While I had opportunities to learn and grow, will the younger generation be limited only to British stages? 5. The challenge of EU visa arrangements for creative workers The challenges are many and varied. English-speaking theatre spans Europe and employs swathes of British talent. British opera singers with a reputation for being able to step into roles at the last minute are constantly called upon by the opera houses of EU nations to fly in with little notice. British technicians set standards and create systems deployed across the EU. British creatives fill opera houses, drama theatres, and the dance spaces throughout the EU. We are seen globally as professional, reliable, and generating exciting, high-quality work. While the current Covid pandemic is masking the immediate fallout from the lack of a seamless visa and work permit arrangement, there is already evidence that UK artists are considered less employable by EU-based organisations because of the additional complexity of their status. (See Appendix A) Setting aside the impact on learning and development that comes from EU-based collaborations, as the UK is a net exporter of artistic talent, such employment will not be met by employment opportunities in the UK. One of the most pressing challenges is a lack of information for EU embassies, border control, and for UK workers. For those of us attempting to travel to the EU for work at the moment, it is chaos. And while established artists tend to have plenty of help with these processes – agents, accountants, experienced colleagues – young British artists who are more likely to encounter problems will also be those less likely to have a similar support structure. 6. Recommendations The immediate short term ask is for clarity. We urgently need a clear, regularly updated account of the current and evolving situation for UK artists regarding visas, work permits, and free travel, without which we are prohibiting British artists from furthering the UK’s place in the international cultural market. We further ask that the government accept the EU offer of a visa waiver for performers. While it will not resolve the problem entirely – as we will still have to negotiate individual work permits – it will remove one layer of complexity. It is also worth mentioning that visa applications often require the surrender of a passport, thus juggling travel to multiple countries and applying for other visas is impossible. This is a major impediment to working internationally and makes planning highly problematic. The result is that the ability to accept short-notice contracts (“jump-ins”) is practically impossible. Therefore, easier access to a second passport would be a quick gesture of help to many. While in the short term this issue presents us with an immediate lack of opportunity for employment, in the longer term it will limit opportunities for talent development and, in turn, a loss of talent. It is therefore vital for the government to develop new pathways to ensure future freelance artists continue to bring the full breadth of experience back from the EEA to the UK. We must foster the chance to flourish internationally if the UK is to continue as a world-class bastion of creative excellence. 7. Conclusion British theatre is an export industry to be proud of, and we should acknowledge and value the global importance of this art form at which we excel. Not only are we a growth industry that generates billions in revenue for the Treasury each year, but we are also the home of the world’s greatest playwright. We have produced Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harold Pinter, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Government subsidy helped produce Les Misérables, War Horse, and the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – global phenomena that are unmatched. Even now Peter Brook is still considered the greatest director in the world. We are the home of quality drama. Our artists are considered some of the greatest in the world and sought after for their talent. But to maintain that international reputation and to foster the next generation of talent, easy access to EU nations for work is vital. Appendix – Case Studies and Third-Party Statements 1. Peter Hoare (Opera Tenor) As noted in the Times and in more depth in the blog post by Paul Carey Jones, Peter’s journey to Spain took several attempts to enter the country together with his fellow British creatives and performers. In order to gain a permit to work in Spain, Peter – a well-established opera tenor – was required to produce the following: Official application form for work visa - applied for at the Spanish Embassy in London, requires surrendering of passport for unspecified period. Cost £150 Insurance (NB cost increased because of working during pandemic). Cost £350 UK Resident’s permit - UK passport proved sufficient in this instance, although non-UK citizens would require further proof.