Province announces grant funding to help live music in Alberta
Officials with the Alberta government say the Stabilize Live Music Grant is helping hundreds of venues, musicians and other music professionals get back to recording and performing.
The government says business grants up to $25,000 are now supporting 64 innovative projects at live venues to help Alberta’s music industry adapt and recover during COVID. Individual grants of up to $1,500, totalling $619,000, are said to have gone directly into the hands of 420 musicians and other live music professionals to help them with live performances or create new sounds in the studio.
Due to what is described as high demand for the business innovation stream, the Alberta government added $1 million to the original $2 million allotted for the Stabilize Live Music Grant program. To date, the program distributed more than $1.5 million in business grants. As a result, more local venues were able to bounce back, say government officials, keeping people employed and entertaining Albertans.
“Our support is helping the live music sector thrive now and into the future because it is essential to our economic, social and emotional recovery. Music is an important part of our culture and contributes to Alberta’s economic diversity. Helping live music professionals and businesses with signature live concerts not only promotes local music, it supports tourism and helps communities prosper,” says Ron Orr, Minister of Culture.