Music media Gaffa asks Brian Risberg Enggaard Clausen to identify the important initiatives that Copenhagen politicians should move forward with. 

"Specifically, I would work for the municipality to allocate more funds to culture and especially fee support for music venues," he says.  

He praises the Danish Arts Foundation for raising minimum fees for musicians, but also emphasises that the City of Copenhagen should also pay out a larger pool to venues - otherwise fewer artists and musicians will be booked:

"[...] we need the number of clips to be maintained or increased and the pool to keep up. Otherwise, we risk making it harder for venues to book a varied range of artists, and the concert programme will become poorer," says Brian Risberg Enggaard Clausen, who, in addition to being a board member of Dansk Artist Forbund, is vice chairman of Spil Dansk and a member of the Copenhagen Music Committee. 

Copenhagen must be a pioneer municipality 

The City of Copenhagen must take a long-term and European approach. Here, he emphasises the possibility of a concert guarantee fund, where venues and musicians avoid an unreasonable financial risk when organising concerts.  

The City of Copenhagen should also join European schemes that strengthen culture, he says, highlighting a labelling scheme for venues with healthy and fair conditions. 

"Another example is a fair practice-label inspired by the Netherlands, which rewards venues, theatres and other organisers that work sustainably - both socially and green," says Brian Risberg Enggaard Clausen to Gaffa. 

Music artists must be able to make a living from their work 

Valuing the work of music artists is absolutely central to making music life stronger in a city like Copenhagen: 

"Remember that music is not just entertainment - it's a necessity of life. Music connects people across age, background and political views. When you invest in music, you invest in the soul of the city, the well-being of its citizens and the voices of the future. That's why I urge you to take responsibility for ensuring that musicians can make a living from their work," says Brian Risberg Enggaard Clausen to Gaffa.  

If you have a subscription to Gaffa, you can read the full article here.