“So many artists and their managers work unpaid on loss-making tours”: A new touring fund has been set up for UK artistsA new UK Artist Touring Fund developed with the Musicians’ Union, Music Managers Forum, and Featured Artists Coalition will be used to help mitigate the “cost of touring crisis” in grassroots live music.
The fund will “act as a vehicle to distribute artist-allocated revenues collected by the recently-launched LIVE Trust” – an organisation delivering funding where it is needed most to help the entertainment sector thrive. The fund arrives off the back of recent data from Ditto that revealed 84 per cent of UK-based respondents (from a survey of 1,500 independent artists) could not afford to tour.

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The “transparent” application process will soon open for artists, DJs, and other music performers, with funding also set to support managers and session musicians through a partnership with the Musicians’ Union (MU) and the Music Managers Forum (MMF). The UKAT Fund will also be open to receive one-off donations and commercial support for those who wish to invest directly in UK talent.
David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition, comments, “The FAC has established the UKAT Fund in preparation for when the LIVE Trust becomes operational and starts to distribute revenue from the incoming ticket contributions. It will ensure that any funding allocated for grassroots artists can be distributed in the most effective, transparent and efficient way possible. By helping keep shows on the road, our three fundamental aims are to support artist development, boost audience engagement and help sustain the wider live music supply chain.”
Annabella Coldrick, Chief Executive of Music Managers Forum, also states “So many artists and their managers work unpaid on loss-making tours for many years in the hope of growing a fanbase, developing their live performance and creating long term careers. They are having to make tough financial decisions to make ends meet, and in many cases artists play many fewer dates than they would like around the UK due to the upfront costs of touring… We look forward to the fund being operational in the coming weeks and months as it is so urgently needed.”
Naomi Pohl, General Secretary, Musicians’ Union, adds, “The past five years have been extremely difficult for musicians due to COVID and the rising cost of touring, both within the UK and overseas. We want to make sure there is clear and transparent access to support, not only for those who book and platform artists, but for artists themselves and the huge teams they employ.”
Head over to the Featured Artists Coalition website to receive updates on the fund or find out more.
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