Artist Managers: Viva la Visa's Andy Corrigan on the post-Brexit visa situation

A Zoom-based Q&A ‘Exchange’ session organised by the International Artist Managers’ Association (IAMA). The event is designed to meet the needs principally of assistant artist managers, who handle the nuts and bolts involved in ensuring engagements are carried out with the minimum of fuss and bother. The subject under discussion: Best Practice for Visas and Immigration. Having finally surrendered to Brexit fatigue as far as this column is concerned for many a month (you noticed) I ask if I can listen in. How far off the pace am I in the area of visa procedures following the 2016 referendum?

The Zoom room fills up, some of those attending beaming in from Europe. On-screen to greet them is the expert lined up to field questions on anything to do with visas, on a worldwide basis — the distinctive sight of Andy Corrigan (pictured below), founder in 2009 of the company Viva la Visa. If a bank manager-type figure in a grey suit was expected, the sight of Corrigan must have been something of a shock. Swathed in black, complete with chic fedora, he is seated against the backdrop of a state-of-the-art recording studio, all knobs and faders.

I’m not fedora-fazed as I’ve done my research in advance, talking previously with Corrigan about his past and present. He continues to gig with the rock band The Mekons, having been a founder-member in the long ago when five art students at the University of Leeds named their new group after the sinister but super-clever Venusian who was the mortal enemy of 1950s/60s comic book hero, Dan Dare. (Come on, you’ve seen naffer rock group names…). So, Corrigan’s look and stage-set is explained, but how come his transition into the (apparently) tedious world of regulatory fine-print and endless bureaucracy? Would the Mekon have managed patience with that for even five minutes?

Well, in that year of 2009 Corrigan was spending much of his time at home looking after the children while his wife was at work. Out of the blue, a cry for help from a member of the Birmingham-based roots reggae band, Steel Pulse. ‘They knew I had a track-record as a tour manager and wanted me to help them get visas to perform in Canada.’ Things progressed from there. Viva la Visa was born that same year and has since flourished, providing a bespoke service either on a retainer basis or via individual problem-solving. The client list numbers in the thousands worldwide, majoring on the musical world, but not exclusively so. In the classical music area, Viva la Visa has worked not just with artist managers but the likes of the Musicians’ Union and the Independent Society of Musicians.

Corrigan admits the job can be… less than thrill-filled, shall we say. One key element, he says, is ‘poring over sources for visa and immigration law available online, from country to country. You need to develop an eye for updated regulations — so often information creeps out really quietly, with no PR behind it. That certainly applies to the UK.’

Yes, says Corrigan, the Brexit aftermath prompted ‘a huge spike in the work we’re asked to do, both in respect of performers working in the UK and the EU. Suddenly companies saw they had to devote significant funds to dealing with visas. This isn’t such a big deal for a major rock group which can net big money in one concert, but not so easy for an area like classical artist management. What we do, though, is offer free basic advice, as with the IAMA session, which gives general information. Beyond that, of course, it’s a paid-for service.’ Which may not come cheap but, as Corrigan says, ‘it may sometimes be a false economy to think you can do without the kind of advice we offer’

So, back to that IAMA Q&A. As far as the post-Brexit situation for performers is concerned, clearly the legwork now required to bring EU nationals into the UK remains depressing enough, if hardly insurmountable. All the more dispiriting to hear how painfully slowly arrangements for UK nationals to perform in Schengen area countries have progressed. As Corrigan had already told me, ‘EU visa issues in the area of cultural activity are only ever going to be dealt with on a country-by-country basis. And all EU governments are aware that if they relax immigration policy they’re going to be jumped on by the media as being weak. The situation with Spain is now essentially OK. It’s getting there with France. The next major battle is with Germany. But I don’t expect to see a complete sorting of the post-Brexit visa situation across the EU in my lifetime.

‘As things stand, UK passport holders are allowed by individual states to enter the Schengen area for work activities, such as performing, for 90 days in any 180. Most countries have a permit-free allowance for performers ranging from the full ninety days down to a few days. In order to work outside of these allowances a National D visa is needed. So it’s not an impossible situation. Things aren’t always as complicated as they might seem. Close inspection of regulations can reveal solutions which didn’t seem possible.’

The IAMA session also examined the state of play with US visas. No country throws up more hurdles for performers in respect of visa clearance, the situation all the worse currently thanks to chronic understaffing at most Embassy and Consulate processing centres. And even after visas are awarded, performers are still at the mercy of individual border officials making snap judgments.

Whatever the territory, says Corrigan, it pays to have contacts in high places to turn to in cases of acute need — one reason an artist management might have for turning to outside assistance such as Viva la Visa. One obvious potential nightmare scenario is that of last-minute performer replacements — a situation which, Corrigan observes, especially highlights the fact that ‘…in so many countries, including the UK, there’s simply a lack of sufficient personnel to handle visas. You can’t help observing that sportsmen and women don’t seem to have the same problems, though. I’m always amazed at politicians’ failure to understand the contribution cultural activity makes to economies.’

Whichever way you look at it, then, the ultimate takeaway from the IAMA session was that unless the situation dictates otherwise, always plan visa applications way in advance. As Corrigan observes, ‘No-one wants a panic…but Viva la Visa is there to help if needed in a crisis.’