CRAFT formalises a UK Comedy Advisory Board and initiates Parliament Comedy APPG with Richard Quigley MP to chair
Comedy finally has a dedicated voice in Parliament
Who are CRAFT?
Comedy is one of Britain's best-loved exports—yet it's the least-funded major artform. In fact, it isn't even recognised as an 'artform': two major arm's-length bodies have recently declared comedy a "genre."
Comedy generates billions in revenue and millions in taxes, none of it reinvested in the sector. For too long it has sat outside the rooms where policy, finance and support get decided—and the situation is far worse than the sector realises. Beyond the category recognition issue, comedy is absent from every major public funding stream and from official Government reports, while live comedy venue tax relief and film and TV tax credits remain woeful. These are examples of the structures our counterparts in music, theatre and film take for granted.
CRAFT exists to change that.
We are the dedicated national body for the entire comedy ecosystem—live, broadcast, recorded, digital and illustrative work, the businesses around it, and the audiences it serves, including communities reached through creative health interventions. A charity in formation, accountable to the UK Charity Commission, we're run by almost 30 volunteers with over 250 years of combined comedy experience. Our first comedy patron is the critically acclaimed comedian, actor and writer Tom Walker (Jonathan Pie), alongside active cross-party political patrons Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Samantha Niblett MP and Dr Simon Opher MP.
Comedy now has a UK Parliament group—the ‘Comedy APPG’
We are proud to announce CRAFT has initiated and will coordinate the Secretariat for the brand-new Comedy All-Parliamentary-Parliament-Group (APPG). This gives our industry a permanent, official presence in Parliament, creating a dedicated space where the ecosystem's pressing challenges can be brought forward, robustly evidenced, and kept firmly on the political agenda.
Richard Quigley MP—a stand-up comedian and small business owner—has put his name forward to chair the group, who said: “I’m very excited to take on the biggest job in politics: Chair of the Comedy APPG. It's a big job, all the training has paid off!”. When meeting with Lu Jackson, Chair of CRAFT, Richard said “We’re going to take this seriously and transform the sector, but let’s have fun doing it”. Our thoughts exactly.
An APPG is a cross-party forum bringing together MPs and Peers around a shared interest. CRAFT will provide the Secretariat, working between comedy and parliamentarians—coordinating briefings and meetings—while the group focuses on every area of comedy. Officers, including the Chair, will be elected by parliamentarians at an inaugural formal meeting before Summer Recess; we'll share the full list soon.James Sharp, CRAFT political policy advisor, is the Comedy APPG Secretariat Coordinator & Policy Lead. All CRAFT and APPG roles are voluntary.
CRAFT Chair and Patrons with Richard Quigley MP
Photo supplied by Craic at the recent Podcast-on-Prescription in Parliament: Lu Jackson (Craic CEO & CRAFT Chair), Tom Walker (CRAFT Patron), Tom Findlay (Groove Armada), Dr Simon Opher MP (CRAFT Patron), Samantha Niblett MP (CRAFT Patron), Richard Quigley MP (Comedy APPG Chair), and Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg (The Lord Mayor of Westminster).
UK Comedy Advisory Board
Professor Dr. Lesley Sloss is today announced as the inaugural Chair of the UK’s new Comedy Advisory Board for an initial two-year term alongside a body of up to 30 industry experts. This specialist board will focus on all areas of the sector and has been established to provide strategic guidance, expertise, and support to CRAFT’s charity board and the Government’s Comedy APPG.
Stepping into the role, Dr. Sloss emphasised her commitment to absolute neutrality: "I am here to facilitate fair and unbiased consensus, as someone with no irons in any fires." Having managed comedy talent, represented international interests on high-level United Nations committees, and chaired complex global summits, Dr. Sloss excels at navigating intense socio-economic debates and balancing diverse stakeholder interests. She will ensure that “all perspectives within the comedy community are heard”, driving robust, collaborative, and actionable solutions for the industry's future.
Anyone working in the comedy ecosystem can apply to join the Comedy Advisory Board by contacting CRAFT. We're looking for a diverse range of well-liked professionals with big hearts, a passion for collaboration, and the drive to make the industry better. All positions are for an initial two-year term, and all roles are voluntary without the legal obligations of being a trustee or director.
Professor Dr. Lesley Sloss at the BBC Comedy Festival 2026
Photo (L-R): Nana Hughes (ITV Head of Scripted Comedy), Jon Petrie (Director of BBC Comedy Commissioning), Lu Jackson (CRAFT Chair of Trustees), Professor Dr. Lesley Sloss (CRAFT Comedy Advisory Board Chair), Samantha Niblett MP (CRAFT Patron), Jessica Loveland (Head of New Writing at the BBC), and Thomas Messenger (Head of Political and Parliamentary Engagement at BBC).
Leicester Comedy Festival
We've been extremely active behind the scenes, helping Big Difference Company (BDC)—the charity behind the Leicester comedy festivals—with payments owing to over 170 professionals and businesses. We urge everyone with influence to treat this as a priority and to contact Michael Harris-Wakelam (CEO of BDC) if they can help, including gift-aid donations made directly to BDC.
With the festival organisers' cooperation, we have:
Pressed for emergency support and met directly with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy MP; Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray MP's team; the Director of Theatre at Arts Council England; Leicester's local MPs (Liz Kendall, Shivani Raja and Shockat Adams); as well as connected with Lord Wolfson’s team.
Stepped in with free, hands-on help—negotiated with Stripe to reduce the festival's payment-processing fees for donations.
You can read the initial letter we sent to the festival's trustees at CRAFT’s website or Facebook Group.
CRAFT is a registered charity (CIO in formation). Get and touch via our Contact Us page.
Subscribe to our RSS feed or newsletter + follow our socials for future updates.
