Nearly 300 British cultural luminaries across several creative industries have signed a letter of support to keep Britain in the European Union.
Artists such as Anish Kapoor, Tracey Emin, Conrad Shawcross, Jeremy Deller, Martin Parr, Elizabeth Price, Bob and Roberta Smith, and Cornelia Parker, as well as the Director of Tate Modern Chris Dercon, voiced their support to stay in the EU by signing the StrongerIn campaign’s petition. The referendum is June 23.
A decision to leave could have far-reaching political and economic consequences for both Britain and the EU as a whole. Prime Minister David Cameron called the vote, “One of the biggest decision this country will face in our lifetimes,” according to Time Magazine.
Anish Kapoor is among the signatories. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
The bid was also supported by celebrities across other creative industries including actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, and Patrick Stewart, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, and members of the band Franz Ferdinand.
Tracey Emin arrives for the wedding of Jerry Hall to Rupert Murdoch at St Brides Church, Fleet Street, on March 5, 2016 in London, England. Courtesy of Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images.
“From the smallest gallery to the biggest blockbuster, many of us have worked on projects that would never have happened without vital EU funding or by collaborating across borders,” the letter states. “Leaving Europe would be a leap into the unknown for millions of people across the UK who work in the creative industries, and for the millions more at home and abroad who benefit from the growth and vibrancy of Britain’s cultural sector.”
The petition goes on to explain that the UK relies on Europe as it is the British cultural industry’s largest export market, totaling 56 percent of overseas trade. Although this number dipped to its lowest on record in 2015, according to the Telegraph.
The StrongerIn campaign estimates that leaving the European union could adversely effect up to 2.8 million Britons working in the creative industry, which equates to 1 in 11 members of the British workforce.