25 March. We're very sorry to have had to postpone all abcd events and courses for the moment. All participants have been contacted, but if you have any queries, please get in touch with us.
Following the arrival and spread of Coronavirus in the UK, we have collected together a few useful links from our fellow music organisations for musicians and their choirs.
These links have been updated following the latest Government advice.
First and foremost, follow Government advice, WHO and NHS.
There is now a joint portal of information for musicians at:
http://www.coronamusicians.info/
This has been put together by Help Musicians, the Incorporated Society of Musicians, The Ivors Academy, the Music Managers Forum, the Music Producers Guild, the Musicians' Union, and UK Music and is being regularly updated.
Making Music has published advice for music societies, including helpful hints for choirs during this enforced break from singing together and advice on cancelling performances. Do keep an eye on any updates to the following link:
https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/resource/covid-19-staying-connected
Do try and help to support our musicians, who are going through a very difficult time at the moment. Help Musicians has launched the Coronavirus Financial Hardship Fund, specifically created to alleviate some of the immediate financial pressures that many professional musicians may currently be facing. The £5 million fund has been opened to help reduce the worry many musicians are experiencing about their mounting household expenses.
The Musicians Union has launched a £1 million hardship fund for MU members with genuine and pressing hardship.
https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/hardshipfund
PRS for Music has launched an Membership Emergency Relief Fund. The new fund, which will open for applications at 9:00 am on Thursday 26 March, offers money to support songwriters and composers during unprecedented times of hardship.
https://www.prsformusic.com/c/emergency-relief-fund
Arts Professional magazine has taken down its subscription wall to provide regular news and information relating to the coronavirus pandemic, and how it might affect anyone working in the arts. https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/covidculture
Arts Council England is making £160 million of emergency funding available for those organisations and individuals who will need it during the crisis, and has also changed the funding requirements for individuals and organisations currently in receipt of our funding. There are funding strands for National Portfolio Organisations, organisations outside the National Portfolio, and for individuals. More details available here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19
Facebook for Business is setting up a cash grants scheme for small businesses to help them survive the coronavirus crisis. This will be launched in the coming weeks, and organisations can sign up to receive details when the scheme opens for applications.
There are articles on the BBC website outlining details of the Government's various support schemes for businesses.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52005137
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51982005
Posted: Wed 11th March 2020