Today, Charisse Beaumont, CEO of Black Lives in Music (BLiM), joined Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club for a roundtable aimed at boosting the hospitality and leisure industries.
But Charisse had a bigger mission: calling out the discriminatory licensing practices still holding back Black, Asian and ethnically diverse artists, promoters, and venues.
The REMEL Survey—run by BLiM in partnership with the Musicians’ Union, UK Music, LIVE, and the Mayor of London—is gathering stories and data about how outdated, biased rules continue to affect diverse artists and event organisers.
Despite Form 696 being scrapped in 2017, its legacy still lingers. Venues with Black and Asian-led music programming face more scrutiny, are denied late-night licenses, or deal with last-minute cancellations.
Charisse didn’t hold back:
“This roundtable was a crucial chance to link our REMEL Survey with the government’s new initiatives. We need to make sure outdated barriers are torn down for good.”
With the UK’s hospitality sector worth around £62 billion and over three million jobs relying on it, the government is looking for ways to boost growth. BLiM is making sure every voice is heard—especially those who’ve been unfairly targeted.
Have you experienced unfair licensing, cancellations, or discrimination in the live music industry? Your story matters. Help us build a fairer, more inclusive industry.