Actors, artists and writers look in the mirror and see a future in the EU 

SIR – The EU referendum is the greatest democratic decision of our time and will have far-reaching consequences for generations to come.

The referendum forces us to look in the mirror and ask ourselves: what kind of nation do we want to be? Are we outward looking and open to working with others to achieve more? Or are we closing ourselves off from our friends and neighbors in times of increasing global insecurity?

From the smallest gallery to the biggest blockbuster, many of us have worked on projects that would never have happened without EU funding or cross-border collaboration. The UK is not only stronger in the EU, it is more imaginative and creative. Our global creative success would be severely weakened by a departure.

And what would “out” really mean? Leaving the EU would be a leap of faith for millions of people in the UK working in the creative industries and for millions more at home and abroad who are benefiting from the vibrancy of the UK cultural sector.

From bards to bowies, British creativity inspires the world. We believe that being part of the EU reinforces Britain’s leading role on the world stage. Let’s not become an underdog screaming from the wings.

Aaron Taylor Johnson

Abi Morgan

Adam Broomberg

Oliver Chanarin

Adrian Scarborough

Akram Khan

Alexandra Schulman

Alexis Taylor

Alex Kapranos

Alfonso Cuaron

Alistair Spalding

Allie Esiri

Allon Zloof

Gus Unger Hamilton

Joe Newman

Thomas Green

Amahra Spence

Amanda Levete

Amanda Neville

Emir Cupid

Andrew Hurst

Andreas Koetting

AndyHarry

Sir Anish Kapoor

Anna Maxwell Martin

Anna Schmitz

Annoushka Ducas

Anoushka Shankar

Anthony Burrill

Antonia Campbell Hughes

Arlen Phillips

Asif Kapadia

Baroness King of Bow

Bella Freud

Ben Evans

ben harris

Ben Rivers

Benedict Cumberbatch

Benjamin Karen

Bill Nighty

Bob Hardy

BobSmith

Robert Smith

Blessed Brian

Brigitte Floyer

Bryony Gordon

Carol newbie

Carol Ann Duffy

Carol Haupt

Caroline Skinner

Carrie Crackell

Karl Fink

Charles Saumarez Smith

Charlotte Mendelson

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chris Dercon

Chris Jackson

Christina Molly

Christopher Wright

Cornelia Parker

Daniel Flechter

Daniel Ruby

Danny Boyle

David Haslam

DavidPrice

David Adjaye

David Arnold

David Batchelor

Sir David Chipperfield

David Heyman

David Joseph

David Jubb

David Lan

David Morrissey

David Olelowo

David Putnam

David Sproxton

David Yates

Deborah Bull

Deborah Dawton

Mr Derek Jacobi

Dominic Koch

Dominic West

Doug Gordon

dr Sandy Shaw

Ed Simons

Eddie Izzard

Edie Campbell

Edward Hall

Elizabeth Karlsen

Elizabeth price

Emily Eavis

Eric Fellner

Professor Eyal Weizman

Fabrizio Zappaterra

Felix beret

Fergus Linehan

Gail Rebuck

Garry Hume

Gavin Turk

Geoff Dyer

Geoff Travis

George Lang

George Wollen

Glen Brown

Gregor Hilty

Hannah Pescod

Hans Ulrich Obrist

Lady Harriet Walter

Heath Thomas

Helena Bonham Carter

Heydon Prowse

Lady Hilary coat

Howard Davis

Hussein Chalayan

Ian Archer

Ian Livingstone

Ian McEwan

Ilan Eshkeri

Ilse Crawford

Imran Amed

Jack Thorne

James Kapper

James Down

James Lingwood

Jamie Bell

Jamie Byng

Jamie Lloyd

Jamie MacColl

Jarvis Cocker

Jason Watkins

Jatinder Verma

Jay Jopling

Jeff McMillan

Jefferson Hack

Jenny Agutter

Jeremy Deller

Jess search

jessie ware

Yeah brand

Johanna Hogg

Joe Murphy

JoeRobertson

Joe Wright

Mr John Hurt

John Kampfner

John leCarre

John madden

John Pawson

Sir John Sorell

Jolyon Rubinstein

Jonathan Reekie

Professor Jonathan Schalit

Joseph Berg

Joseph Richardson

Josch Berger

Jew Kelly

Jew law

Julia Stevenson

June sarpong

Kanya King

Kate Mosse

Kate Unsworth

Catherine Hamnet

Kathy Lette

Katie Mitchell

Katie Moore

Keira Knightly

Keith Milow

Kelly Hoppen

Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp

Kerry Hudson

Kevin McDonald

Kevin O’Hare

Kit Neal

Koo Jeong A

Mrs. Kristin Scott Thomas

Laura Bailey

Laura Wade

Laura Wright

Lee Hall

Leonie Higgins

Lisa Marie Hoctor

Louisa Hutton

Lowri Evans

Marcus Davey

Mrs Marina Warner

Martha Freud

Martin Parr

Maria Swan

Matt Weißkreuz

Matthew Baker

Sir Matthew Bourne

Matthew Hale

Matthew Herbert

Meike Ziervogel

Merce Ribot

Michael Craig Martin

Michael Fryn

Michael Mack

Michael Morphurgo

Michael Morris

Michael Winterbottom

mike leigh

Natalia Kaliada

Nicholas Hytner

Nick dear

Nick McCarthy

Nicolai Khalezin

Nicolai Schumann

Nicholas Brown

Nicolas Kent

Nicole Farhi

Nigel Carrington

Nick Powell

Nina Gold

Nitin Sawney

Noel Clarke

Noel Qualter

Ol Parker

Orlando von Einsiedel

Paloma faith

Patricia Rodriguez

Patrick Grant

Mr Patrick Steward

Paul Hosking

Paul Roseby

Paul Thompson

Pavel Pavlikowski

Peter Czernin

Peter Florence

Pete Morgan

peter rice

Peter Strickland

Philip Pullman

Piers Aggett

Mrs. Pippa Harris

Polly Stenham

Rhodri Meilir

Richard Curtis

Richard Gregory

Richard Rogers

Richard Wentworth

Robert Montgomery

Ron Arad

Russ Shaw

Sabrina Guiness

Sally Wainwright

Sam Taylor Johnson

Sam Dorn

Samuel Hodges

Samuel West

Sandy Toksvig

Sarah Cocker

Sarah Solemani

Saul Dibb

Shaun McDowell

Shirazeh Houshiary

Simon Paterson

Simon Stephens

Sonja Friedman

Sophie Fiennes

Sophie Okonedo

Stephen Daldry

Stefan Frears

Stephen Woolley

Steve Coogan

Steve McQueen

Susanne Tresillian

Tacita Dean

Tara Robinson

Thandie Newton

Thea Sharrock

Thomas Heidewick

Tim Bewan

Tim Pigott-Smith

Tom Geens

tom harper

Tom Hopper

Professor Tom Inns

Tom Schmidt

Mr Tom Stoppard

Tommy Franzen

Tony Bewan

Tracey Emin

Tracey seaward

Vicky Federstein

Vicky Ireland

Mrs Vivienne Westwood

Wayne McGregor

William Nicholson

Wolfgang Tilmans

Jan Peel

SIR – Tony Benn has always reminded us that we should constantly ask those who govern us: where do you get your power from? To whom are you accountable? how can we get rid of you

The Eurogroup, the informal and unelected body of eurozone finance ministers from which all major EU economic decisions originate, has prompted the implementation of policies that continue to condemn several EU countries to poverty. This is a body that does not even exist in European law, that has no minutes of its negotiations and that keeps its deliberations confidential and does not share them with European citizens.

This body does not derive its power from us, nor is it accountable to us, and we have no democratic means of disposing of it.

Regardless of economic arguments (which seem balanced anyway, as the Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England can’t agree on whether interest rates will rise or fall in the event of a Brexit), if we value our democracy, we want to continue to do so as politicians to To be accountable and to be able to remove them if we wish, then the only way to be free from undemocratic EU interference is to ask us these questions from Tony Benn and then for exit agree.

Karl law
Hay on Wye, Herefordshire

SIR – Lord Darling, former Chancellor (Business, May 19) says if Britain left the EU youth unemployment would ‘skyrocket’. On the same site, a report says that 252,000 more EU workers came here last year, mainly from Spain, Italy and Greece.

If the job prospects in the EU are so bright, why are young European workers flocking to the UK?

Myra Splitton
Macclesfield, Cheshire

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