Yesterday music industry bodies wrote to the Prime Minister and Ministers Grant Robertson, Carmel Sepuloni, and Kiritapu Allan, on behalf of Aotearoa’s contemporary music industry: artists and songwriters who write, perform and record; and the many workers and organisations who support them.
The letter asked the government to urgently reinstate the Wage Subsidy and Resurgence Support Payments for music sector businesses and sole traders while New Zealand remains is in the red traffic light setting.
The change to red light means that all imminent significant size shows, festivals and events have been cancelled or postponed, with no certainty as to whether any event will be able to safely proceed in coming months, which is already having a significant impact on the lives and livelihoods of artists and the entire music sector.
While the music sector is very grateful for the targeted assistance from the government to date, and supports the government’s health response to protect all New Zealanders, the current move to Red sees the music sector in the most precarious position it has faced since the start of the pandemic. The summer festival and touring period accounts for the majority of annual live music income and provides a financial buffer for the rest of the calendar year. The 2022 ‘earning season’ has been drastically reduced, and many have already depleted their reserves surviving the uncertain times so far.
The MCH Event Support Scheme and the MBIE Events Transition Support Payment scheme (ETSP) are useful tools which provide assistance to the live sector, but only within certain parameters and criteria.
A reinstatement of the Resurgence Support Payment and Wage Subsidy would assist artists and music sector businesses and sole traders to survive through this next phase of the government’s health response to COVID-19. It would support artists and performers, music venues, live music workers and technical crew, along with assisting the rest of the music sector who will be affected by the ensuing impact.
We are respectfully asking government to act urgently, and we stand ready to provide any information or assistance that is needed.
The Resurgence Support Payment and Wage Subsidy schemes have already proven to be effective tools which can be quickly and efficiently implemented for the music sector. The eligibility criteria centred on decreases in revenue and income ensures the support is being targeted at the most affected people, and artists themselves can access both schemes.
The music industry bodies are united in their support of this request, and ready to provide further information to the government should they need it.
