The campaign against the proposed to entertainment licensing in Scotland is growing ahead of the date the changes come into force on 1 April, with a public meeting in support of the campaign in Edinburgh on 1 March.
The changes widen the circumstances for which entertainment licences are required by removing the qualification that only performances that charge for admission need apply. The Scottish Parliament's position is that the requirements imposed by a licence regarding health and safety, fire regulations and such like should be the same whether the public is paying for entry or not, but many artists worry that the cost of licences and the requirement to apply months in advance could severely damage the grassroots and community arts scenes in Scotland.
The campaign has drawn the support of poet and novelist Ron Butlin, University of Edinburgh writer in residence Alan Warner, publisher Kevin Williamson, site-specific theatre company Grid Iron, actor Tam Dean Burn, artistic director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre Mark Thomson and Rupert Thomson, programme director of venue Summerhall.
The public meeting will be at Out of the Blue, Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh on 1 March from 7 to 9PM with a panel including independent producer Chloe Dear, Morvern Cunningham of Leith Late, Neil Mulholland of Edinburgh College of Art, Rob Munn of City of Edinburgh Council and Malcolm Chisholm, MSP for Edinburgh North and Leith. Nicola Sturgeon MSP has also been invited but has not yet confirmed whether she will attend.
For further information, there is an online petition and a Facebook group about the campaign, plus there is an explanation of the new rules and charges on the City of Edinburgh Council web site.