COVID-19 Resources for NZ Music/Film Production Industry Pals

This is a work-in-progress collection of resources available to those in the NZ production

industries facing unprecedented pressure as a result of COVID-19 prevention measures.

It is an open-source document; additions welcome! If you have anything to

contribute, please add to the relevant section and provide a brief description.

CC-BY - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Shareable link for this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VbuWCsKh3aj4jHihxCjbuX_7Sx0T7BCJ99NeQ8hLy1Q/edit?usp=sharing

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**Jump to August 2021 Wage Sub + RSP Info**

1. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE - ENTERTAINMENT SPECIFIC

Music Helps NZ

https://musichelps.org.nz/2020/03/covid-19-information-and-support-for-kiwi-music-people/

REGULARLY UPDATED WITH A VARIETY OF RESOURCES. You should definitely check this one out. Financial hardship grants, financial planning resources, mental health resources, and more for anyone working in the music industry (on or off stage).

NEW: Emergency Relief Grants for NZ music industry professionals currently overseas https://musichelps.org.nz/covid-19-grant/

NZ Music Venue Infrastructure Fund

https://www.nzmusic.org.nz/news/commission/nz-music-venue-infrastructure-fund-is-open/

* to support COVID-19 related health and safety measures for music venues and support the infrastructure costs for original NZ music performance venues across New Zealand.

* opens on Wednesday 8 July for five weeks until 12 August 2020, or until the Fund is fully distributed (which may be before this date). Applications will be accepted for grants up to a maximum value of $50,000 per venue

Domestic Events Fund (MBIE)

https://www.majorevents.govt.nz/about-the-domestic-events-fund/

Domestic Events Fund (DEF) is intended for events which:

* are socially, culturally, or economically significant for New Zealand, and

* have exhausted market-based solutions, and

* without support, would not be able to re-start or need to be significantly re-scaled,

* Events which will assist the market to retain sector-critical event organisers and suppliers for the long-term viability of the industry.

* Recurring events only

Applications opened 4/July/2020.

NZMM ‘Make Good’ Fund

The COVID-19 NZ Music Month Make Good Fund is open until Monday 20 July. If you had an event in NZ Music Month which was cancelled as a result of COVID-19 and you have proof of expenses or income loss, you can apply for a contribution towards these.

LiveNation ‘CrewNation’ Global Relief Fund

https://www.livenationentertainment.com/relief-fund/

Open to all live entertainment touring or venue crew member who make 50% or more of their income from this field.

There are some conditions and documentation required to apply. Music Forward Foundation, a 501c3 organization, will be selecting recipients based on an objective determination of need.

Applications are now closed for those who were impacted by shows originally scheduled to take place in March or April 2020.

A new application window will open the week of May 18th for anyone who will be financially impacted by shows scheduled to take place in May 2020.

Creative NZ Emergency Relief Grant

https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/find-fundi ng/funds/emergency-relief-grant

UPDATE due to overwhelming demand, application deadline brought forward to May 29th.

An Emergency Relief Grant is a contribution towards loss of income between 1 March and 30 June due to COVID-19. This grant is a lump sum top-up of the WINZ COVID-19 Wage Subsidy to align with Creative New Zealand’s policy to pay artists and arts practitioners fairly. Applicants to this fund must have successfully applied to the COVID-19 WINZ Wage Subsidy. The Creative New Zealand Emergency Relief fund is available for eligible independent artists and arts practitioners, and members of arts organisations (including groups and collectives).

Creative NZ General Response to Date

https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/creative-new-zealand-establishes-multi-million-dollar-covid-19-response

First Phase of support details here: https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/details-of-creative-new-zealand-s-first-phase-arts-sector-boost-ahead-of-14-april-opening

Second Phase of support to begin 1 July. Details here:

https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/arts-council-lays-framework-for-phase-2-of-creative-new-zealand-s-covid-19-response

Main components of support:

* Emergency support for existing investment clients – open to the 83 multi-year funded arts organisations in the Toi Tōtara Haemata and Toi Uru Kahikatea investment programmes (investment clients).

* Resilience grants for artists, arts practitioners, arts groups and arts organisations – open to eligible, non-investment clients. There will be quick turnaround periods and rolling weekly decisions.

Suspension of all other CNZ funding programmes. Existing CNZ funding: Don’t have to refund what has been spent, but do have to refund what can’t be spent if funded project cancelled.

Budget 2020 response (Treasury)

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/417843/government-launches-175m-arts-and-music-recovery-package

Outline of the $175million Arts and Music Recovery Package:

* Creative Arts Recovery and Employment Fund: $70m over three years for supporting the rebuild of the creative industries by commissioning and supporting creative projects at a national and local level.

* Cultural Innovation Fund: $60m over three years for a contestable fund to support new ways of operating, cross-sector partnerships, and create new ways to add value to the economy, particularly through digital exports. This will include supporting innovative approaches to Māori artforms and traditional knowledge.

* Cultural Capability Fund: $20m for a focus on immediate needs in response to Covid-19, such as legal services, online delivery and audience development.

* New Zealand Music Recovery Fund: $16.5m specifically directed towards the contemporary popular music industry (including $7.1m to boost NZ on Air's New Music programmes, $5m for a Live Music Touring Fund, $3m immediate support for safe music venues which will be administered by the NZ Music Commission, and $1.4m to help musicians recoup lost income via Outward Sounds and NZ Music Month.)

2. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE - GENERAL

Wage Subsidy / RSP (August 2021 Alert L4)

Wage Sub: https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/wage-subsidy/index.html

RSP: https://www.ird.govt.nz/covid-19/business-and-organisations/resurgence-support-payment

Both the Wage Subsidy and the Resurgence Support Payment are in play this time.

If you are a sole trader, you are eligible to apply for both provided you meet the criteria for both.

Wage Sub Criteria: at least a 40% decline over the period between 17 August 2021 and 30 August 2021 inclusive

Open: 20-Aug-21 through 2-Sept-21

Requires your IRD number.

RSP Criteria: at least a 30% drop in revenue or a 30% decline in capital-raising ability over a 7-day period.

Open: 24-Aug until one month after a nationwide return to Alert Level 1.

Requires an NZBN. These are free and easy to get if you are self-employed and do not have one: https://www.nzbn.govt.nz/get-an-nzbn/get-your-nzbn/

TEMPLATE: Loss of Income Calculator

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Q9GeK_WhJnbVHppzATRqPeLv5gt-L_rr?usp=sharing

Templates for calculating/recording loss of income (thanks to CoreHR) and doing a financial risk assessment for yourself.

Wage Subsidy/RSP (Feb 2021 Alert L4)

Apply for the Resurgence Support Payment (RSP)

There are TWO resurgence subsidies available.

14 Feb Alert Level Increase: The last day to apply is 22 March.

28 Feb Alert Level Increase: Applications will open at 8am on 8 March.

“Businesses and the self-employed will be eligible if they experience a 40% drop in predicted or actual revenue over a consecutive 14-day period, compared to a typical fortnightly revenue in the six weeks before the rise in alert level. You would need to be able to show that the revenue drop is due to the change in alert level, not just COVID-19 in general.”

This means: You can use payments received (cash basis) or billable work performed (accrual basis) for indicating your revenue level for the 7 day period 15 Feb – 21 Feb, and then using the same method (cash or accrual) you just need to find another 7 day period in the previous 6 weeks that had the highest revenue figure which you enter as the comparative figure. As long as those figures show a 30% or more decrease then you’re good to go.

YOU MUST HAVE AN NZBN - these are free to get if you are self-employed and do not have one: https://www.nzbn.govt.nz/get-an-nzbn/get-your-nzbn/

Central Gov’t Response/ Support for Covid-19

https://covid19.govt.nz/how-were-uniting/financial-support/

General overview of stimulus package. Specifics are listed under ‘Wage Subsidy,’ WINZ’ and ‘IRD tax relief’ below.

Covid-19 Relief Payment

https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/income-relief-payment/index.html

If you lose your job (including self-employment) from 1 March 2020 to 30 October 2020 due to COVID-19, you may be eligible for the COVID-19 Income Relief Payment. It’s available from 8 June 2020.

You can get up to 12 weeks of payments, to help with living costs after a sudden job loss, and give you time to find other work.

Resurgence Wage Subsidy Extension (Aug 2020)

https://workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/resurgence-wage-subsidy/

Applications can be made from 1pm on 21 August 2020 to 3 September 2020. New Zealand employers / sole traders who have had, or expect to have, a revenue drop of at least 40% because of COVID-19, for a 14 day period between 12 August to 10 September, compare