Support Act launches COVID Emergency Appeal as biz faces ‘enormous pressure’

Music industry charity Support Act has today launched the 2022 COVID Emergency Appeal in response to the growing crisis within the industry as the latest wave of Omicron wreaks havoc.

Since the start of the pandemic, Support Act has allocated more than 15,000 Crisis Relief Grants to music and live performing arts workers valued at more than $35 million.

Support Acts said a “large part” of those funds came from the Australian Government.

But now that funding has been expended, Support Act urgently needs to raise more money to meet the continuing demand from workers struggling financially and with their mental health.

Support Act chief executive Clive Miller said the industry is facing “enormous pressure”.

“Just when we thought 2022 might bring something brighter for our industry, the spread of Omicron is once again affecting live music,” he said, “with events being cancelled or postponed, and now many music workers are also testing positive to COVID-19 and being forced to isolate, resulting in them losing critically important income.

“It’s putting enormous pressure on an industry which is still struggling to recover after almost two years of pandemic-related challenges,” Miller added.

The 2022 COVID Emergency Appeal is supported by some leading figures in the music industry who share their stories about how Support Act’s services have helped them.

This includes artists Sam Margin from The Rubens and Paul Gildea from Icehouse, lighting designer Deb Hatton and UNIFIED artist manager, Caleb Williams.

For further information or to make a donation, visit the 2022 COVID Emergency Appeal.