Monday, March 30, 2020

Newport Festivals Foundation Announces COVID-19 Artist Relief Fund | Pollstar News

Newport Folk Festival 2017Douglas Mason/Getty ImagesNewport Folk Festival 2017A view of the crowd and bay from the top of Fort Adams during the Newport Folk Festival on July 30, 2017, in Newport, R.I.

Newport Festivals Foundation is giving back to Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals artists by establishing a relief fund for musicians whose livelihood has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent ban on public gatherings. Announced today, the Newport Festivals Artists Relief Fund will provide rapid micro and full grants to musicians experiencing lost income as a result of the global pandemic. 


“It is with utmost hope that the Newport Folk and Newport Jazz Festivals will go on this summer, but in the meantime we feel the call to do more. We are in a unique position with our foundation, where we can go above and beyond and help provide support for our musicians community while other tours and festivals are cancelling due to COVID-19,” says Executive Producer, Jay Sweet. “I want to be clear, this is not a fundraiser, these are funds that our Festival Foundation already allocates to annual giving. In this dark time, we feel blessed to be able to provide some small comfort for those whose songs carry us through each day.”


The Newport Festivals Musician Relief Fund’s focus is on assisting musicians who have performed at Newport Jazz or Folk Festivals, as well as artists in the Rhode Island community. Other applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 


The submission process for the fund is open immediately, with two grant options: a one-time grant of $300 or less to cover immediate financial concerns or a full-grant of $300 or more to cover a significant portion of lost income related to coronavirus. The fund is limited to one submission per artist or group and to quality, musicians must submit links or files to show lost income from a performance or gig cancellation related to COVID-19. 


Grants will be reviewed on a weekly basis with funds sent out as soon as possible. Those who are not selected will be notified within a week of submission. 


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