Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to encourage performers, artists and creatives from Ukraine to travel to the UK.

DCMS is continuing to work with the cultural sector to understand the impacts of the war in Ukraine and, where appropriate, is engaging with other government departments. My officials have held meetings with sector representatives to discuss this directly. We engage at ministerial level with members of the Ukrainian Government, Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko and Kateryna Chuyeva regularly.

The British Council’s planned UK-Ukraine Season of Culture is going ahead from June-November 2022 and will involve British and Ukrainian artists, creative sectors, and educators. The programme will advance knowledge of Ukraine in the UK, position the country’s cultural achievements, and create opportunities for Ukrainian creatives to develop lasting partnerships with their UK counterparts. DCMS sectors have been a key player in the UK’s response to the war in Ukraine. This has included severely restricting Russian and Belarussian state organisations’ participation in cultural events, public shows of solidarity with Ukraine from cultural organisations, and the cancellation of high-profile exhibitions and tours to the UK.

My department regularly engages with representatives from across the UK cultural sector to ensure we have an ongoing picture of mobility and migration needs. We work with the Home Office to provide the best welcome for international talent, including for performers, artists, and creatives from Ukraine. UK Visas and Immigration in the Home Office is prioritising applications made in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the invasion of Ukraine. However, there are a number of ways in which artists can come to perform in the UK.