Re: UK regulations for visiting artists

From: mat fleming (email suppressed)
Date: Tue Apr 14 2009 - 08:16:53 PDT


How will this not curb visits? It just makes it harder to do.
I know of several events already canceled due to this stuff. I believe there
is a fee you have to pay to immigration too. If your organisation is small
or voluntary you just dont have the time and resources to supply all the
information they need. It is perfectly likely that an artist doesn't have
£800 in the bank. It's been a long time since i have and i live in a rich
country. It counts for rock groups too i believe. If they're any good they
are usually not making any money and they'll be relying on informal travel
and accomodation arrangements that just dont gel with this controlling
stuff. It's totally obvious that this will stop good things that bring
people and ideas together from happening. There will be ways around it for
the determined but we should be able to be upfront about these things. I
cant see any justification for it at all either.

Mat

On Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 3:21 PM, miriam jayne martins sampaio <
email suppressed> wrote:

> unbelievable!!!! There is much more I can say over this but...
> miriam
>
> > Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:08:11 -0400
> > From: email suppressed
> > Subject: Re: UK regulations for visiting artists
> > To: email suppressed
> >
> > Proof that we Americans aren't the only ones to
> > overreact to foreign 'threats'-:)
> >
> >
> > At 12:04 PM +0100 4/14/09, Rob Gawthrop wrote:
> > >Sorry if this has appeared before. Please see below and sign the
> petition
> > >(link at bottom)
> > >
> > >Thanks
> > >
> > >Rob
> > >
> > >The UK Home Office has introduced new bureaucratic procedures for
> > >organisations that wish to invite non-EU artists and academics to the
> UK. As
> > >professionals committed to the principles of internationalism and
> cultural
> > >exchange, we are dismayed by these new regulations - which will curb our
> > >invitations to non-EU artists and academics to visit the UK for talks,
> > >artist residencies, conferences and temporary exhibitions.
> > >
> > >The system is costly to both the host organisation and to the visitor,
> and
> > >has already meant a number of cancelled exhibitions and concerts. All
> non-EU
> > >visitors now must apply for a visa in person, and supply biometric data,
> > >electronic fingerprint scans and a digital photograph. The Home Office's
> > >158-page guideline document also outlines new controls over visitors'
> > >day-to-day activity: visitors must show that they have at least £800
> pounds
> > >of personal savings, which have been held for at least three months
> prior to
> > >the date of their application; the host organisation must keep copies of
> the
> > >visitor's passport and their UK Biometric Card, and a history of their
> > >contact details; and if the visitor does not turn up to their studio or
> > >place of work, or their whereabouts is unknown, the organisation is
> legally
> > >obliged to inform the UK Border Agency.
> > >
> > >http://www.petitiononline.com/MCvisit/petition.html
> > >
> > >
> > >__________________________________________________________________
> > >For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Emile Tobenfeld, Ph. D.
> > Video Producer and Digital Photographer Image Processing Specialist
> > Video for your HEAD! Boris FX
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> >
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> >
> > "Don't make book, if you cannot cover bets." -- Tom Lehrer
> >
> >
> > __________________________________________________________________
> > For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.
>
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> __________________________________________________________________ For info
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>
>

__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.