Help in a crisis

Being a musician can be a wonderful profession, but it can also be a precarious way to earn a living. The lifestyle can be stressful, especially for freelancers. When things go wrong, life can quickly spiral out of control. We are here to stop that happening.

When you come to us in a crisis, we want to help you to sustain your career and, if possible, get back to where you were before. If that’s not possible we may be able to help you adapt to your changed circumstances. By ‘crisis’ we mean an unexpected event, illness or accident that means that you cannot work, or work as much as before.

Financial support

Money is always important in a crisis and we can help with things like paying for therapy or medical treatment as well as making payments towards household bills and other living costs to help cope with not working.

If we make a financial grant to you, we aim to do it within 10 days of receiving your completed application. As crisis support usually relates to a short-term situation, our assistance would normally be in a short-term capacity.

Visiting you at home

We will usually visit you at home to make sure we understand your needs. Our team is trained to provide advice and support on specific issues, such as welfare rights. We may also be able to refer you to other sources of support, such as Step Change, Business Debt Line or medical specialists.

Generally we can’t help if you are simply finding it difficult to get work or earn enough money as a musician. We have to focus our resources on those facing unexpected crises or sudden misfortune.

Please note: due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, we are generally unable to conduct in-person visits at the moment. Our team will keep in touch remotely to make sure you are receiving the support you need.

Health problems

If you have a health problem – physical or psychological – that affects your ability to perform, we have a partnership with the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) that entitles you to a free assessment. BAPAM is an independent charity which gives specialist health advice, and if further treatment is required, provides information about appropriate health care practitioners, taking into account your needs as a musician.