Sunday April 12, 2020 ~ BC
~ West Shore Voice News
New grants for livestreaming will support musicians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and allow people to enjoy more music at home, thanks to the BC Government and and Creative BC.
There’s also a free concert coming up this week, hosted by the BC Government. Stay tuned for the livestreamed event announcement.
These announcements came on Saturday April 11 that a new online hub will carry a variety of live performances, entertainment and content to British Columbians.
“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.