Latest coronavirus advice to grantees with overseas activities or performances
Last updated October 2021
If you have received PRS Foundation support to perform or undertake activities overseas it is important that you familiarise yourself with the latest information available about coronavirus (COVID-19) so you are able to make informed decisions. We have consulted our funding partners to provide this latest advice.
Event specific updates:
SXSW 11-20 March 2022, Austin, Texas
SXSW updated their webpage to state, they are hoping to hold an in-person event in 2022. Applications for the 2022 edition are now open. Please note, there is currently a back log in processing visas, if your require a visa and have been invited to perform at SXSW, please apply to the first ISF SXSW deadline on 1st November.
Please see the official announcement here.
Eurosonic Noorderslag 19-22 January 2022, Groningen, Netherlands
Eurosonic announced on 2nd December 2021 that the festival and conference is now solely online for the 2022 edition due to restrictions in the Netherlands. Similar to last year, they are designing the digital festival platform in collaboration with NPO (Dutch Public Broadcaster) and EBU (European Broadcasting Union). The platform will be free of charge for all viewers worldwide.
If you are planning on applying for the International Showcase Fund please make all applications and support based on virtual showcasing and not in real-life.
Applications for the 2022 edition are now open, you can apply here.
JazzAhead, 28 April – 1 May 2022, Bremen, Germany
Latest information is that JazzAhead will be an in-person event. Applications are now open for the 2022 edition, you can find more information here.
Cancelled Events
Classical:NEXT, 27-30 September 2021, Rotterdam, Netherlands:
Classical Next for 2021 has been cancelled.
Please see the official announcement from Classical:NEXT
Iceland Airwaves, 2-5 November 2021, Reykjavik, Iceland:
Iceland Airwaves has been cancelled. Please see the official announcement here.
Amsterdam Dance Event, 13-17 October 2021, Amsterdam, Netherlands:
Whilst the festival is taking place, the ADE Pro Conference has cancelled. Please see information here.
The UK Government’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office:
The latest advice on travel in regards to the coronavirus
The latest advice and information on the specific country you are travelling to
UK Music:
Latest information on coronavirus
Musicians’ Union:
Advice for Musicians in relation to coronavirus
AIM:
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) – AIM Member FAQ
World Health Organization:
Grant conditions and commitments
ISF partners were the first funders to offer flexibility for those music creators who were immediately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now we are over 18 months into the pandemic, with live events returning, we are happy to support showcases at events which fit within the latest UK Government and FCO travel advice.
For international activities therefore, it is vital you check and comply with the latest UK Government advice and FCO travel advice. Projects which conflict with that advice are unlikely to be supported.
Digital contingency (up to £1,000) can be included alongside physical travel to an in-person event, but you must have contingency plans in place should this not be possible, this includes the relevant insurances. For any grant offers made, expect any offer of support to come with related conditions.
In the event of a cancellation or postponement, we expect in most cases that most costs can be recovered through relevant insurances, PRS Foundation may request to reclaim a fair proportion of the grant and will reinvest in international showcasing.
If an event you have already received a PRS Foundation payment for is postponed and you can still commit to attending, we advise caution in making travel bookings until you know more. Partners are happy with you carrying support over to the rescheduled date and reporting as usual to claim your final payment.
If in the above scenario, the postponement has incurred costs which affect your cash-flow, you may request an advance of a fair proportion of your final payment – something partners will consider.
We understand grantees are in a difficult position and are not rushing decisions. We will not make decisions which drive a grantee or a representative into further losses/debt.
We ask grantees to complete our Exceptional Circumstances Form which can be accessed as a reporting form within your grant portal here. This requires grantees to outline the impacts of cancellation or postponement and to provide updated budgets so that PRS Foundation can make recommendations on behalf of partners.
You may be required to submit evidence of losses due to non-recoverable expenditure.
How do we liaise with PRS Foundation?
Funding partners are here to help you and will do whatever we can to support grantees.
We ask grantees to complete our Exceptional Circumstances Form which can be accessed as a reporting form within your grant portal here. You will be able to indicate the urgency of your submission and we strive to get back to urgent cases within 2-3 working days.
How does this impact recent or future applicants?
For those considering applying to PRS Foundation schemes
Our funding opportunities remain open and accessible and we do not currently expect changes to deadlines, or significant delays to the assessment and decision-making process. You should continue to apply and feel free to contact applications@prsfoundation.com with any questions relating to funding applications.
For international activities, it is vital you check and comply with the latest UK Government advice and FCO travel advice. Projects which conflict with that advice are unlikely to be supported.
For events taking place in the coming months where there is uncertainly, apply caution and expect any offer of support to come with related conditions.
If you’re worried about coronavirus affecting your project’s expenditure, we encourage you to use the contingency allowance.
In the meantime, we are working closely with funding partners and trustees to consider all scenarios and advise you to read the below section so that you are aware of the potential impact of coronavirus on decisions and offers.
For those who have recently applied for PRS Foundation support for international activities
PRS Foundation and funding partners are monitoring the situation and assessors will be advised to score applications based on our funding priorities, criteria and latest information available to us.
What happens next?
PRS Foundation and funding partners are monitoring the situation and assessors will be advised to score applications based on our funding priorities, criteria and latest information available to us.
We expect the following scenarios:
- Unsuccessful applicants will be informed as per usual practice.
- i) Where a decision is hard to make due to uncertainty around coronavirus and your project, please expect a slight delay in the decision-making process. Please contact applications@prsfoundation.com if this causes issues and feel free to provide an update to your plans if you know your plans will be affected by coronavirus.
- ii) Where advisors and partners would like to support an application, an offer will be issued which allows the applicant to consider making further plans.
A condition will be placed on this offer stating that all payments and offers are subject to coronavirus-related developments and that grantees should exercise caution before incurring expenses in light of the ongoing situation.
Payments will be delayed where the PRS Foundation and funding partners deem it appropriate.
Funding partners will update terms and conditions with an express force majeure clause such that if funded activities are rendered impossible due to the coronavirus crisis, then funds may be returned.
PRS Foundation has created a system which allows grantees to outline exceptional circumstances and report on expenditure and income so that PRS Foundation and partners can make decisions based in the best interests of the music creators involved.
This system may be used for those offered funding support in the foreseeable future.
