The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) has launched a Musicians’ Support fund for its musicians who have lost work due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In four weeks, the fund has raised almost £30,000, all of which will be distributed to AAM musicians during May 2020.
Liz Brinsdon, Head of Development at AAM comments: “Our brilliant musicians are the heart and soul of the Academy of Ancient Music, and right now, they need our support. The cancellation of concerts and other work has had a significant impact on all freelance performers. The government’s financial support package for the self-employed does not come into effect until June, and in the meantime, many musicians are without income. We launched the Musicians’ Support fund to offer direct financial assistance to our musicians, and asked our supporters to donate what they could. We have, quite simply, been bowled over by their generosity. Our donors have given nearly £30,000 in just four weeks, and every penny will go directly to our musicians. We hope that this will help them get them through the current unprecedented situation. We look forward to the day when we can see our wonderful musicians on stage again, offering superb concerts, making critically acclaimed recordings and music for millions of listeners around the world.”
AAM Chief Executive Alexander Van Ingen adds: “An emergency campaign isn’t something we’ve had to do in the past, but we felt it was vitally important to find a way of offering direct financial support to our musicians in these very challenging times. As part of our fundraising efforts, we have launched a digital concert series Streaming Sundays, which sees full-length HD concerts broadcast from the Academy of Ancient Music’s YouTube Channel each Sunday from 3pm GMT. We are asking an international audience to donate what they can to support our fantastic musicians who made these concerts possible, and we hope that these concerts will provide a moment of beauty and relief to anyone who watches them.”