Move could unlock funding and other benefits

MPs are officially calling on the government to recognise live comedy as an art form in its own right.

The chair of the cross-party culture committee in the Commons has written to Arts Minister Chris Bryant to make the policy change, which industry insiders hope will make it easier to unlock funding and other official support.

Dame Caroline Dinenage’s six-page correspondence concluded: ‘We have identified the huge positive impact that live comedy can have, economically, culturally and socially. 

‘The challenge now is for the Government to build on this, recognising live comedy as a specific art form as a first step, and working with the sector to help deliver on the benefits they bring to our country.’

She made her recommendation after just one session that her committee held with representatives of the Live Comedy Association (LCA), who made what she called a ’compelling proposal’.

Since the session in April, the Government has committed to holding a roundtable with the comedy sector, but Dame Caroline, pictured above, noted: ‘However, to date there does not appear to have been any progress on the very small step in the right direction’.

The Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan, which promises a direction for the next 10 years, makes no mention of comedy, and Dame Caroline said that in another season ‘the Government was not able to provide any further evidence of work on this sub-sector’.

The Conservative MP added: ’Given the economic and social contribution of comedy, and the importance of live comedy as part of this, we support calls for a formal recognition of live comedy as a distinct art form.

‘In practical terms, at a first step this should mean increased engagement by DCMS [the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport] with the sector and with Arts Council England on how it considers and funds live comedy.’

She also said that while the LCA is currently running a survey into the state of the industry ‘the sector is fragmented and there is a limit to the amount of data that a survey can accurately provide’.

Dame Caroline therefore recommended that Government should ‘work with funding bodies to establish an independent, accurate assessment of the size and distribution of the live comedy sector’. The last LCA but the economic size of the industry at £1billion a year, as well as having social benefits that are harder to quantify.

She also said she wanted to look further into the ‘barriers to participation’ in comedy and suggested that arena gigs could add a voluntary levy to tickets that would feed back into the grassroots circuit. 

Jessica Toomey, co-chair of the LCA, said: ‘We are absolutely taking a moment to celebrate what is a landmark moment for UK live comedy. 

‘In the past there have been similar statements of support for comedy, but this letter explicitly states support for live comedy and the entire live comedy sector.

‘It also demonstrates the importance of the LCA’s annual live comedy sector survey, which helps provide crucial data on the sector’s overall size and impact.’

Leicester Comedy Festival founder Geoff Rowe, who is now a leading light in the LCA, added: ‘Absolutely delighted with this announcement this morning; it's a landmark moment for people working in UK live comedy. Much more to do, but this is a significant day! Massive thanks to everyone who has got us this far.’

Rowe and Toomey, who runs Manchester’s Frog and Bucket comedy club, addressed the committee in April alongside comedians Matt Forde and Kate Cheka, Funny Women’s Lynne Parker and Dr Sharon Lockyer, from the Centre for Comedy Studies Research at Brunel University London.

Read Chortle’s report into the evidence they presented here.

Published: 5 Aug 2025