NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM
The Association of Independent Music (AIM) are accepting further applications for access to their Covid-19 Crisis Fund, which is providing financial aid to freelancers and contractors in the music industry who have been hit hard professionally by the coronavirus pandemic.
Initially launched in April, AIM’s Crisis Fund has already helped nearly 200 people in the music industry — including tour managers, live crew, sound engineers, producers, agents, managers, promoters and publicists — who have lost out on work or had projects cancelled due to the lockdown.
-
Read more: Campaign to save hundreds of UK venues from “closing forever” is working – but still needs support
These 200 beneficiaries include contractors and freelancers who were due to work with artists such as Bonobo, FKA Twigs, Fontaines D.C., Idles and Laura Marling.
AIM point out that self-employed workers make up around 72% of the music industry’s workforce, and many of those workers are currently falling through the cracks of both government and music industry funding schemes.
AIM are now extending access to their Covid-19 Crisis Fund into June/July in addition to the initial period of April/May. Successful applicants can now receive up to £1,000 for each two-month period of lost work, while AIM say that “receiving aid for one time period does not preclude beneficiaries from applying again for the other”.
Qualifying workers must be a self-employed contractor or the sole employee of their own loan-out company, while they must also either be an AIM Member themselves or working with an AIM member business. Developing artists who are signed to an AIM Member business can also apply.
AIM say in a statement that they “particularly welcome applications from individuals from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Backgrounds (BAME), women and non-binary individuals, those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) or are registered as disabled as these groups are currently underrepresented within the music industry.”
Eligible contractors and freelancers can now apply to the fund directly, or alternatively AIM members can nominate them for a grant — you can find out more information about AIM’s Covid-19 Crisis Fund here.
AIM are also accepting further donations to the fund, and those who wish to pledge a contribution can email aimfund@aim.org.uk.
Yesterday (June 9), the independent UK charity Help Musicians announced that their £2.5 million fund to help struggling musicians during the coronavirus crisis has nearly run out of cash.
The post AIM’s Covid-19 Crisis Fund is accepting more applications from music freelancers and contractors appeared first on NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM.
