Brexit: without free movement of international stage designers and students, the UK risks losing its status as a world leader in theatre, according to the Society of British Theatre Designers.
The SBTD ? which represents theatre designers across the UK and abroad ? has said that restricting the amount of creative talent allowed into the UK after Brexit will be disastrous for its industry.
In a statement sent to the government's Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), it called for "our strong ties with Europe" to be preserved in negotiations for the UK's exit from the European Union.
This will be essential, it claimed, in maintaining its contribution to the music, performing and visual arts sector, which adds £5.4 billion a year to the UK economy. "In order for British theatre design to remain a world leader, we reject any restriction on the free movement of performance makers into the UK," it said.
The organisation produced the statement following a Dezeen callout for support with a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the impact of Brexit ? the deadline for which is today.
We asked companies and individuals to share their views on how Brexit will affect their businesses.
The SBTD said that non-British figures such as Ralph Koltai, Richard Hudson, Maria Björnson and Stefanos Lazaridis ? who chose to stay in the UK after training here ? prove how important foreign talent is to British set design.
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