DCMS increases funds available through Help Musicians UK

The UK Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) have increased the Culture Recovery Fund to support freelancers who have been impacted by the pandemic over the usually lucrative Christmas period.

This funding doubles the amount previously available in the latest round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants and includes a donation of £650,000 to Help Musicians UK intended to help provide hardship support early this year.

Naomi Pohl, deputy general secretary of the Musician’s Union (MU) which represents musicians by negotiating with industry employers and supporting professional and student musicians, said: ‘We have been pushing for financial support for freelancers since the Omicron variant started to affect the live sector in particular.’

This funding increase follows the MU’s call for more Government support for freelance musicians during the current rise in Covid cases and echoes the union’s letter to the Chancellor on 17 December demanding immediate financial support for freelance musicians affected by the new variant.

MU general secretary, Horace Trubridge, said: ‘It is absolutely crucial to their survival that the Government recognises the economic abyss that our world-class players, performers, writers and teachers are facing. They need support and they need it now.’

According to MU research, 86% of musicians have had work cancelled due to the recent rise in Covid cases, and 75% of musicians expect to earn under half of their regular income during the next two months.

Applications for Culture Recovery Fund emergency grants are still open with an extended deadline of midday on 18 January for permission to apply requests and a deadline for applications of 4 February. Applications can be made via the Arts Council England website.

You can find out more about Help Musicians UK (including available funding) at the charity’s website.

You can find out more about the Musician’s Union here.