Applications now closed for entertainment COVID relief grants
We have now surpassed our target, says Grange
Published:Saturday | January 15, 2022 | 3:10 PM
No further applications will be accepted for the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport's Entertainment, Culture and Creative Industries COVID-19 Grant Programme.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange said the programme has been oversubscribed and has stopped taking new applications. "We anticipated about 1,000 applications for the individual grants of $60,000 each to members of the entertainment, culture and creative industries. We've had a very good response in a very short time, and we have now surpassed our target for applications," said Grange.
Grange announced the $90 million special support package on December 18. In a January 2 Gleaner article, she said more than 800 applications had been received, and 103 grants of $60,000 each had already been disbursed.
Since then, the programme has received nearly 1,400 applications from a wide cross-section of the entertainment, culture and creative industry practitioners, including sound system operators, musicians, singers, sound engineers, stagehands, film and video producers, writers, journalists, among others.
"Up to yesterday afternoon, 331 members of the entertainment, culture and creative industries had already received their grants, which means that so far, we've paid out more than $19 million. By Wednesday, an additional 170 people should see the grants in their accounts. That would take us to 500 paid out. And then we would have another 800 or so applications left with the majority of those already processed and have met the criteria, and will be awarded grants," said Grange in a release.
The award of individual grants is being funded by the $90 million special support package for entertainment, culture, and creative industries practitioners. The special support package will also benefit organisations in the sectors.
Grange is to announce the details of the support programme for organisations at a later date.