While we cannot know how COVID-19 will spread or how long this pandemic will last, we do know that this virus has universally devastated our working music community. A majority of gigs and festivals for the coming weeks and months have cancelled or postponed. While some Oklahomans are fortunate to have paid leave, remote-work options and other safety nets, working musicians without gigs are left without income to pay their bills. As an organization that provides a safety net of emergency assistance to Oklahoma music people, we cannot imagine a more critical time to come to their aid.
Red Dirt Relief Fund has already provided $100,000 to 400 working Oklahoma music people in the form of one-time emergency grants of $250 since Monday, March 16.
Our grant funding pool is currently exhausted, but we have several new funding opportunities in the works, and we’re still raising money. We will continue to fulfill one-time emergency grants of $250 on a first-come, first-served basis as funds become available. To be eligible for a grant, you must meet these criteria:
-Sustained a financial loss of at least $1,000 due to cancelled/postponed gigs related to COVID-19
-Worked in the music business for the past 5 years. This includes creation, production, promotion and other jobs directly-related to the making of music.
-Are a current Oklahoma resident
Apply for a grant here: https://forms.gle/j4PcHdx9omAQuWfJ7
While we realize these smaller grants will not completely alleviate the financial strain for our working music community, we believe this act of solidarity can help everyone better weather this storm.
We are grateful to our loyal and generous donors for making this effort possible! Businesses, venues or others with ideas for how to support this effort should contact Katie Dale at reddirtrelieffund@gmail.com
