A new one-time benefit to help independent Canadian self-employed musicians get back on their feet following the pandemic havoc was recently announced by The Unison Fund.
The Unison Fund is a registered music charity that provides emergency relief and counselling services to Canadian musicians and others working in the live music industry. The Canadian government has allocated $16.8 million towards the Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund (CPAWRF), to be administered by Unison, and of which the Live Music Worker’s Fund (LMWF) is a part.
The new funding is aimed at independent freelance musicians and other self-employed workers within the live music sector.
“We sincerely thank the government of Canada and the honorable Pablo Rodriguez, minister of Canadian heritage, for their support and recognition,” says Unison Fund executive director Amanda Power in a media release.
“Our organisation is grateful to be named as a recipient of this funding, which will be used to help support Canadian live music professionals sustain their career amid the continuing challenges and difficulties created by the pandemic.
“Over the next year, this investment will go towards the future of live music workers and the re-establishment and empowerment of the live music scene in Canada. We look forward to working in line with many other music industry organisations across the country to disburse this crucial funding.”
As an organisation, Unison has broad industry support, with partners from Spotify to the Ontario and federal governments.
The details
- If you qualify, you can receive a one-time lump sum payment of $2,500;
- The funding is intended to assist with basic living expenses;
- You can apply if you are one of the following: artist, artist manager or management company, booking agent, composer, concert photographer, concert recording engineer, consultant, DJ, event production/festival, marketing/communications;
- Others who can also qualify include: merchandiser, musician, production company, promoter, publisher, publicist/public relations, retailer (instruments and supplies), songwriter, stagehand/roadie, talent Buyer, technician, tour management/operator, venue staff, and videographer.
To qualify:
- You must have earned at least 55% of your income from music or music-related activities for at least two consecutive years prior to the pandemic (i.e. prior to 2020);
- The application process is open to all Canadian musicians, except those who work and reside in the province of Quebec – they can apply for assistance with la Fondation des artistes.
Applications can be started here.
Erin Benjamin, chair, board of directors, The Unison Fund, commented in a release. “The Canadian live music industry has been decimated by COVID-19 and this funding will help live music professionals jumpstart their careers during the third year of the pandemic.”
“It may take many years for the live music industry to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, but Unison will continue to be there to provide financial and mental health assistance with the challenges so many face.”
If you do not qualify under the definition of an independent self-employed live music worker, you may be able to apply for the Unison Industry Assistance Fund, which is designed to cover all other music industry professionals.
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