People will now be able to enjoy more music at home, as the province and Creative BC support musicians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with new grants for livestreaming.
“Music has the power to lift us up and give us hope in times of crisis,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “B.C.’s music industry responded swiftly by embracing opportunities to livestream and bring people together online. Today, we’re stepping up to support their efforts.”
As a first step to support the music industry, the B.C. government is partnering with Creative BC to launch Showcase BC. This new online hub brings a variety of live performances, entertainment and content to British Columbians, so they can stay connected while staying home.
To help B.C. musicians take part in Showcase BC, Creative BC has also opened a new Showcase BC music funding stream. This new program will provide one-time micro-grants of $500 to emerging artists and $2,000 to established artists for livestreaming, songwriting and professional development. Creative BC will offer grants to all previously eligible Amplify BC applicants. British Columbians can access all the grant performances for free through the Showcase BC website and get information on new livestream events by following the hashtag #ShowcaseBC on Twitter.
To bring people together, the province will host a free livestream concert next week featuring musicians from around British Columbia. People will be able to join in and watch the concert online. The concert lineup will be announced soon.
“I think most musicians are doing what they can to lift people’s spirits right now,” said Dan Mangan, musician and creator of Side Door. “I’ve been playing interactive online shows each Saturday via Side Door. Getting access to funding to keep the artistic community afloat makes all the difference to me and my peers.”