Many New Brunswick musicians who have found themselves out of work due to COVID-19 have been turning to social media as a way to perform. Now a new program is aiming to encourage more of that while helping put more money in the artist’s pocket.
MusicMusique NB is partnering with the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture to launch the NB At Home program. The funding program will support emerging and established New Brunswick artists presenting live performances on social media during the coronavirus outbreak.
The selected artists will receive between $1,000 and $2,000 for their live-streamed performances.
“The performances will represent unique windows of opportunity and promotion for professional artists and performers,” said Jean Surette, executive director of MusicMusique NB, in a news release. “Not only will they be able to entertain the public, but they will also have an opportunity to promote their own products.”
Artists may submit proposals to MusicMusique NB, which will then help selected artists promote their performances. The proposals should consist of performances ranging between 30 and 60 minutes.
The concept was used recently by the National Arts Centre through a Facebook Live concert with New Brunswick singer Lisa LeBlanc. Her performance, the first of the series, attracted more than 4,000 viewers from across Canada and around the world.
“As with most small businesses and independent workers, New Brunswick’s professional artists and performers have been hit hard by the pandemic crisis and by the isolation measures,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Bruce Fitch. “Most tours, performances and exhibitions have been cancelled. These activities are key for the cultural sector of our province and represent an important source of revenue for artists and performers.”
A version of this story was published in Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
