Are You a British Photographer Who Needs Visa-Free Travel Around Europe? Sign This Petition

Are You a British Photographer Who Needs Visa-Free Travel Around Europe? Sign This Petition

As the Brexit transition period comes to an end, many of the details regarding the United Kingdom’s new arrangement with the European Union remain unclear. Creative industry professionals are keen to avoid having their work impacted by new restrictions. This petition to the U.K. government requests visa-free travel.

The U.K. is due to complete its departure from the European Union on January 1 following a transition period that saw complex negotiations to determine its new relationship. 

Citizens of members of the European Union are able to work in other member states without a permit, and following Brexit, Brits may lose a number of freedoms that made their work possible. Photographers and filmmakers traveling to Europe may require a work permit, and equipment might subject to a carnet or specific permission from customs officials for it to cross borders.

An online petition asks the British government to create an arrangement with the E.U. to ensure that musicians and other creative professionals are not adversely impacted by the U.K.'s departure. At the time of writing, there were just over 98,000 signatures, and upon reaching 100,000 signatures, the proposal will be debated by M.P.s in the House of Commons. Set up by Tim Brennan, former lead singer of the band the Charlatans, the petition has been created to campaign primarily on behalf of musicians, but the details list “music touring professionals, bands, musicians, artists, TV, and sports celebrities” who frequently spend sustained periods of time working in the E.U.

As Burgess mentioned in speaking to NME, politicians frequently rely on the U.K.’s creative industries for creating a progressive and cutting-edge image of Britain. It, therefore, stands to reason that politicians should ensure that its creative industry professionals are not inhibited by the U.K.’s new position in relation to Europe.

Andy Day's picture

Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fairly useless dog. He has an MA in Sociology & Photography which often makes him ponder what all of this really means.

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22 Comments

well...good luck.
UK citizens voted democratically to get out of the EU.
And now they are.

Not forgetting having a clown as PM who constantly screwed up every round of negotiations. UK citizens should have started thinking a bit earlier than this.

It is a shame. Cameron lost his stupid, risky game and Johnson lost his mind (long ago). Now you are in an even worse situation than we in Switzerland. We have several bilateral treaties that go along with the four freedoms of the EU (people, goods, service, capital) but you in the UK are under WTO-rules. The petition is already signed by more than 200k people. I am afraid, it won't change anything. How should that work to have special permits or arrangements for one single group of people.
I am afraid, but you UK-people now have to suffer the consequences of listening to lying politicians and voting for them to be their leaders. On the other side, GB was never a good member of the EU and I am sure some think it is much better they finally got rid of them.

“Never a good member”, erm care to elaborate on this point?

Try Thatcher's: "I want my money back" to start with.

Ah yes, the good old scraping the barrel of things from 35 years ago.

That tenor never left the tories and Cameron with great arrogance played this card and meant to politically survive it. It was a gambling. Would a honest member of an alliance take that risk? Never. GB leaned very much towards to USA and lesser to continental Europe. In the end it might very well be small Brittain with just England left and Scotland gone as member of the EU.

I can’t agree with this, the 2 general elections that were held after the vote were essentially the chance for the people to ‘change their mind’ and the remain camp (Labour) took an absolute trouncing on both occasions, the last one being one of largest defeats in History. So in that respect, the country had spoken.

But Touché, you just used the word ‘remoaner’.... good way to nullify anything sensible that you might have to say.

I mean you aren’t stupid enough to think that it was my comment you originally responded to, are you?

I hate Brexit.

However. It's a bit late to complain about the consequences now.

Next week.. Expect the tirade of "we have to pay roaming charges".

I live in the EU..

But roaming charges was the only thing the dumb woman on the street was whining about on the news this morning... Like that's important in the grand scheme of things

This is just one of many many extra bit of faff brexit is going to create for everyone in the UK. From custom and carrier charges for anything we order, to carnet declarations. So much was promised from brexit, there is a very high chance little will be delivered and much will be lost... (and we have ended up looking like narrow minded bigots to the rest of the world) But we voted for it, so lets sit back and laugh.

Right off, let me say I have no "skin in the game" not being from the U.K. or the E.U. That said, there are more than a few points about this article that come to mind. First, voters decided to leave the E.U. Too late for a take back on that one. Second, there would be inevitable consequences to leave and the most obvious is that the right to live and work in another country/state without immigration or work permits would have to end. You can't "leave" the E.U. without controlling your border in terms of moving goods and people. If a work permit system is to be put into place it will likely have as part of the application process, some form of documentation evidencing the need or demand for the non-resident's services - services a local can't provide. Next, a petition won't get this done. Politicians get all manner of petitions on every conceivable subject. The vast majority have no effect. Moreover, amending the agreement with the E.U. to create a visa-free system for photographers/film makers/creatives will not happen because every other occupation and profession will want the same thing. If this were to happen it would mean you'd be back where you started: free movement of people within a unified political and geographic area. That's not what people voted for.

First of all it is not up to the UK government to create Visa Free movement into the EU. That is up to the EU. The UK government can allow EU creatives to work in the UK without Visas. So far Ireland is the only country that still has visa free work access to both the EU and UK, and vica versa.
Secondly, to allow UK creatives to now work in the EU will increase competition with EU creatives. The EU will not allow that.

I am not saying this is a good think but I believe that is the way it will work out. There will also be more pain in the coming months for BOTH the UK and EU as the implications pan out.

"...Brits may lose a number of freedoms that made their work possible."

Puzzling. I've been reading Brits have just gained their "freedom" by leaving the EU.

Voting out of EU but still wanting to have all the goods and the cream of the cake. Think twice before you vote...

"Only let people vote for things they actually understand."
Be careful what you are wishing for...
I'd venture a guess that this would cancel almost all votes.