In response to COVID-19’s impact on musicians and the gig economy, PARMA set out to give back to artists in the New Hampshire seacoast and beyond. In March we teamed up with Portsmouthnh.com to create the Seacoast Relief Fund for Musicians GoFundMe, to offer relief to artists in our local community. Proceeds from the Seacoast Relief Fund would be distributed to artists around the New Hampshire seacoast area who had lost work due to quarantine.
Between pillars in the seacoast arts community like the The Music Hall and the Dance Hall Kittery pitching in to spread the word about the fund, a virtual benefit concert featuring three hours of multi-genre music from Seacoast artists, and support from generous donors, we were able to raise enough funds to provide relief for dozens of local arts institutions, musicians, and industry professionals who have lost work. These funds were disbursed to artists in early May.
Earlier this month, we also teamed up with the non-profit New Music USA to host MOTO VIRTUO, an extension of PARMA’s MOTO series with Ovidiu Marinescu. This MOTO performance was an online benefit concert to raise money for the New Music USA Solidarity Fund, an artist-led initiative which has already raised over $460,000 in funds for artists who have lost work due to COVID-19. Hosted on the PARMA Live Stage, the performance was the first in a series of benefit concerts, with more dates and programs to be announced soon.
Thank you to all who generously donated in support of artists in need!
