Support Act extends COVID-19 relief grants to NSW music pros doing it tough

Support Act is extending its pandemic support with new cash grants made available to NSW industry professionals in need.

Announced Monday (Jan. 28), the COVID-19 Crisis Relief Grants program unlocks funds valued at $2,000 for individuals and $2,700 for families with dependent children.

The support is available to those who work in music or live performing arts who are a permanent resident of NSW, whose expenditure exceeds their income, and is not receiving any other NSW Government benefit or grant from Support Act in the past three months.

The lifeline is a direct result of the NSW government’s $5 million pledge to Support Act, part of an $85 million emergency package recently unveiled for performing arts and live music.

“We are enormously grateful to Arts Minister, Ben Franklin, and the NSW Government for providing funding support at this critical time,” comments Clive Miller, CEO of Support Act.

“The past few months have been extremely difficult for all musicians, managers, crew and music workers due to the various impacts of the Omicron virus, and while the recent easing of restrictions is great news, the pandemic is not over yet.”

These funds, which will flow until the funding round is expended, will “ensure that those hardest hit in NSW will be able to access our COVID-19 Crisis Relief Grants to help pay the rent, put food on the table, pay urgent medical bills and stay connected with family and community.”

Established in 1997, Support Act is Australia’s only charity delivering crisis relief services to artists and music industry professionals as a result of ill health, physical or mental health problems, or other form of crisis that diminishes their ability to work.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic in March 2020, Support Act has allocated more than 15,000 Crisis Relief Grants to music and live performing arts workers, valued at more than $35 million, the organisation noted last month with its launch of an emergency appeal.

With the bulk of those funds now expended, the charity notes, a “very limited number” of COVID-19 Crisis Relief Grants will be made available to music workers in other states at the lower level of $1,000 for individuals and $1,500 for families.

Visit supportact.org.au for more.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.