Create your arts organization's business continuity plan, because the
unexpected, won't-happen-to-me,
I-don't-want-to-think-about-it
actually does happen.
Be ArtsReady.
What is ArtsReady?
ArtsReady, an online emergency preparedness service by and for arts/cultural nonprofits, provides arts organizations with customized business continuity plans for post-crisis sustainability. Learn More.
Why do readiness planning?
- To protect community and cultural assets.
- To demonstrate sustainability to investors.
- To show mitigated risk to insurance companies.
- To be able to get up and running after crisis.
Information During the Impact of the Coronavirus
Resources Updated April 6, 2020
Check out the Library Resources on the right side of this page for updated information about accessing federal relief funding.
ArtsReady Basic Membership!
Sign up for a free ArtsReady Basic Membership to make sure you receive the latest information and resources! Please sign up today!
The arts community’s response to the COVID-19 public health crisis has been collaborative and in solidarity. Here we offer updated resources to help you operate within an unknown and constantly-changing environment, for artists, managers/agents, funders, and arts organizations.
All decisions should be made with the advice of, and within the context of, your local public health and other governmental officials. The CDC also offers advice for your home, workplace and arts venues: www.cdc.gov.
The economic and legal impact of COVID-19 on the arts sector
Contact Congress Regarding COVID-19 Relief for the Arts – Federal Relief for the Arts Sector
Early on the morning of March 25, the Senate approved a $2 trillion stimulus bill, which will be taken up immediately by the House of Representatives. Americans for the Arts will be analyzing this legislation over the next several days to determine its impact on nonprofit organizations and self-employed workers including arts and cultural workers. To make sure you get the latest information, sign up for a free membership in the Arts Action Fund.
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Free webinar 3.26.20 - Livestreaming Financial Strategies for Freelance Artists in a Time of Crisis - an #ArtistResource talk with Amy Smith, hosted by Howlround at 2 p.m. (EDT)
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Ask An Expert: Contracts, insurance, visas, employment and legislation in the COVID-19 Era
Friday, March 27, 2020 | 1pm ET
Join the Alliance of Performing Arts Conferences* for an upcoming free webinar, Ask an Expert: Contracts, insurance, visas, employment, and legislation in the COVID-19 Era.
This informative panel presentation will gather a group of legal experts to discuss and answer questions about the current business, legal, and financial realities facing the performing arts sector. We will be accepting questions *IN ADVANCE ONLY* for this session.
Guest speakers include Heather Noonan (League of American Orchestras), Matthew Covey (Tamizdat), and more. Please RSVP to the Facebook event here to help spread the word!
Register for the webinar, or connect with it on Facebook.
*APAC is Arts Midwest, Arts Northwest, ArtsReady, Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), Folk Alliance International (FAI), North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA), North Carolina Presenters Consortium (NCPC), International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY), South Arts and Western Arts Alliance (WAA).
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Americans for the Arts is gathering data and impact stories . The survey will capture a broad spectrum of data and stories that will demonstrate how the arts and culture workers triumphed and survived this crisis as well as the effect of the outbreak on operations through cancelled events, lost wages, and additional expenses. AFTA asks you to respond, and encourage you to share this survey with your communities. Take the five-minute survey.
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APAP Coronavirus Impact Survey on the Performing Arts Industry
APAP, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, has just launched a field-wide survey in order to collect data for us to share with organizational funders and to include in advocacy efforts to the U.S. federal government. Take their survey.
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Brian D. Bumby with GG Arts Law offers this legal guidance (not legal advice!) on issues including cancellations, Force Majeure, and travel restrictions.
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Emergency Funding for Arts Organizations
This list includes both national, statewide and local emergency funding sources.
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Non-Financial Resources for Arts Organizations
A number of resources are available to individual arts organizations, including pro bono consulting.
Webinars & Guides
LIVE:
Ask An Expert: Contracts, insurance, visas, employment and legislation in the COVID-19 Era
Friday, March 27, 2020 | 1pm ET
Join the Alliance of Performing Arts Conferences* Ask An Expert: Contracts, insurance, visas, employment and legislation in the COVID-19 Era
Register for the webinar or connect with it on Facebook.
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Crisis Communication and Reputation Management for Performing Arts Organizations - March 25, 2020, 2 p.m. (EDT) Are you prepared? This class reviews elements of strategic communication that are essential before, during and after crisis events. It examines how your organization can best prepare to respond to crisis and restore organizational reputation.
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RECORDED:
Thursday, March 19: Arts and Culture Sector and the Coronavirus: What we Know and How to Move Forward , presented by Americans for the Arts.
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March 18: We Are Stronger Together: Navigating Crises and Sustaining Healthy Relationships in the Era of Coronavirus presented by APAC and Americans for the Arts
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March 16: Artists In a Time of Global Pandemic: A Community Webinar for Independent, Freelance U.S. Artists Across Disciplines hosted by HowlRound Theatre Commons
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March 6: Coronavirus Preparedness for Theatres hosted by Theater Communications Group
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Watch the recording of Prepare Your Organization for the Coronavirus Disease Outbreak hosted by the Event Safety Alliance on March 4, 2020
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The Coronavirus - A Meeting Planner's Perspective hosted by Event Tech Group and Freestone
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How to Plan a Virtual Event on Vimeo: Vimeo’s live production team offers advice on how schools, event coordinators, marketers, and more are evolving their event strategies to optimize engaging live streaming experiences.
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How to Host a Watch Party on Facebook : With Facebook’s Watch Party feature, you can watch tons of videos and shows with members of groups you’re in on Facebook. This could be helpful for filmmakers or other artists whose screenings had to be cancelled.
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Networking for Disaster Management in the Performing Arts presented by Performing Arts Readiness Project on February 27. Emergency response and preparedness for performing arts organizations can be a difficult task for individual organizations. This free two-hour webinar will demonstrate how working with multiple organizations in a network for disaster management can be accomplished. You will learn how to use the Cultural Placekeeping Guide to direct your networking efforts.
Information and Emergency Funding for Artists
The Actors Fund fosters stability and resiliency, and provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan.
Freelance Artists can access resources through the COVID19 Freelance Artist Resources blog and the NY Media Center's Ways to Help Artists and Creatives.
NAPAMA (North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents) provides COVID-19 information particular to performing artists, agents and managers. Their Resource List includes information related to airfare refund and/or cancellation policies, emergency fund and relief programs, sample communications, and more. A list of FAQs address questions including dealing with cancellations, how to mitigate losses, and more.
CERF+ The Artists Safety Net is focusing resources to assist artists who test positive for COVID-19 and require intensive medical care.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts: Emergency Grants provide urgent funding ($500-$2,500) for visual and performing artists who incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates.
Rauschenberg Emergency Grants: The fund provides one-time cash grants of up to $5,000 to cover expenses caused by one-time, unexpected medical emergencies . Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to: hospital and doctor bills (including insurance co-pays), tests, physical/occupational therapy, prescription drugs specifically for the emergency medical condition, and emergency dental work.
Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund: A new fund to assist U.S. musicians who have lost work due to COVID-19.
Women Arts: This site provides lists of grants and resources for both artists and arts organizations.
Americans for the Arts also has collected many resources into one list.
Change, Inc.: Emergency grants for artists in all disciplines needing help with rent, medical expenses, utility bills, fire damage, etc. Grants up to $1,000. Call 212.473.3742 for complete instructions (via a clear, concise message) on how to apply for the grant.
Musician's Foundation: Grants typically range in amount from approximately $500-$3,000 . All professional musicians, regardless of their genre or instrument, can apply for themselves or a family member. You must be a musician in a time of serious need, due to personal, medical, dental, or family crisis, natural disaster, or other emergency situation.
MusiCares: May grant short-term financial assistance for personal or addiction needs that have arisen due to unforeseen circumstances. Funding may be awarded for needs such as rent, car payments, insurance premiums, utilities, medical/dental expenses, psychotherapy, addiction treatment, sober living, and other personal expenses.
Authors League Fund: The Authors League Fund helps professional writers in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune by providing no-strings-attached “loans” to pay for pressing expenses.
PEN American Writers’ Emergency Fund: emergency grant provides financial assistance to painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation.
Boston Artist Relief Fund: The Boston Artist Relief Fund will award grants of $500 and $1000 to individual artists who live in Boston whose creative practices and incomes are being adversely impacted by Coronavirus.
Women and Hollywood Amplify Filmmakers Affected by SXSW Cancellation: If your project has been affected by the cancellation of SXSW or another festival or event, and you doing something else to recoup the costs or attend another event down the road, Women and Hollywood wants to help you amplify your campaign.
The New Music Solidarity Fund is designed to help new/creative/improvised music freelancers whose livelihood has been threatened as a result of performances which have been canceled during the COVID-19 crisis.
Communications Plans
ArtsKC offers this sample plan for communicating with local organizations and artists.
Additional communications examples can be found through APAP .
Additional Information and Resources
The Performing Arts Readiness Project (PAR) offers free webinars on many aspects of arts preparedness. More are scheduled, and previous webinars have been recorded and are available on demand. See the full list of offerings and register here.
CERF+ offers the new Studio Safety Guide, in addition to its longstanding resource The Studio Protector. Learn more!
