Author: Press Officer

The IMRO Radio Awards are full steam ahead for 2020. In place of the usual Gala dinner in Kilkenny, the awards will be now held as a live video/virtual event stream allowing the industry to join in from home or in smaller station groups. Full details of the event will follow in the coming weeks. Entries for #IMRO20 opened today with a closing date of 5pm Thursday 23rd July 2020.

The awards go ahead, all be it in a different format for 2020, with the continued involvement of IMRO as title sponsor. During this particularly testing time for the radio sector, IMRO has continued to show support to stations across the country in addition to its commitment to this key event in the media calendar.  The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) also remains as a valued secondary sponsor.

Some key changes to the Awards were also announced today.

• Gay Byrne Award for Newcomer of the Year. Following the passing of Ireland’s greatest radio broadcaster we are excited that the Byrne family has allowed the Radio Awards Committee to name the Newcomer award in his honour.
• Radio stations will be entitled to submit the same number of entries in 2020 free of charge as they did in 2019.  There will be a reduced cost for any additional entries.
• In an exciting development, we are introducing a new category Podcast of The Year open to radio stations for online only productions. 

Speaking today, Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards committee, Chris Doyle said “There is amazing content being produced on radio now and prior to the Covid-19 crisis which fully deserves to be recognised. Without the support of IMRO, who have shown a great commitment to radio as an industry, we may not have been able to go ahead this year. We thank them for being our allies.

As an industry this has been a challenging time but we have shown that radio is clearly an essential service, going the extra mile to be informing, entertaining and the best lockdown company our listeners could ask for. The uncertainty around gatherings continues which has made planning an awards ceremony difficult therefore we have decided to make this year’s Gala an online event.”

Full details of the awards are on the website at www.imroradioawards.com

The Ivors Academy has opened entries for The Ivors Composer Awards. Entries are open until 9 July and the winners will be announced on 1 December 2020.

The Ivors Composer Awards sees the presentation of Ivor Novello Awards to recognise creative excellence in classical, jazz, and sound arts. Recognised as a pinnacle of achievement since they were first presented in 1956, an Ivor Novello Award represents peer recognition with categories judged by those within the UK music creator community. The Ivors Academy presents awards twice a year to honour and celebrate exceptional songwriting and composing.

Gary Carpenter, Chair of The Ivors Composer Awards Committee, said “In these challenging and unsettling times it is more important than ever to celebrate the ingenuity, craft and creativity of composers and songwriters working across classical, jazz and sound arts. An Ivor Novello Award is a unique recognition of the talent and achievements of music creators by their fellow composers and songwriters. And The Ivors Composer Awards are an iconic way for us, as a community, to cherish, nurture and promote the creativity of our peers.”

Anyone can enter a work, including the composer. There is a £10 administration fee per entry, which is waived if the composer is a member of The Ivors Academy. Submissions are made through the Academy’s Entry Website where you can also see the full rules: https://ivorsacademy.secure-platform.com

Following an annual review of the Composer Awards’ categories, a number of changes have been made to broaden the categories whilst ensuring large scale commissions, which are so important to composers, receive profile.

To be eligible composers must be UK born or be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and the work must have received its UK premiere performance, either live or broadcast during the 12 months prior to 31 March 2020.

AWARD CATEGORIES
Small Chamber
Large Chamber
Jazz Composition for Small Ensemble
Jazz Composition for Large Ensemble
Choral Chamber Orchestral
Large Orchestral
Stage Works
Sound Art
Community and Participation

KEY DATES
Thursday, 9 July 2020, Entry deadline Tuesday,
27 October 2020, Nominations announced
Tuesday, 1 December 2020, The Ivors Composer Awards, British Museum, London

For more information visit www.ivorsacademy.com or follow @IvorsAcademy #theivorscomposerawards

Internationally-acclaimed South African singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, humanitarian and teacher Yvonne Chaka Chaka has been elected as Vice President of CISAC. Also elected as Vice President at CISAC’s General Assembly on May 28th is Arturo Márquez, one of Mexico’s leading composers.

Yvonne Chaka Chaka has been at the forefront of South African popular music for 27 years, becoming known as the “Princess of Africa”. Having shared the stage with creators including Angélique Kidjo, Annie Lennox, Bono, Queen, Miriam Makeba and Youssou N’Dour, Yvonne Chaka Chaka has also performed for Queen Elizabeth II, US President Bill Clinton, South African President Thabo Mbeki and a host of other world leaders.

She has become a champion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the United Nations MDG Envoy for Africa, and the Goodwill Ambassador for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. Nelson Mandela chose her as the first ambassador for his children’s fund. She has also established her own charity, the Princess of Africa Foundation.

CISAC’s Vice Presidents are also joined by the most prominent Mexican composer and director of the second half of the 20th century, Arturo Márquez. The recipient of numerous awards and scholarships from the government of France and Mexico as well as the Fulbright Scholarship from the United States, Arturo Márquez studied at the National Conservatory of Mexico, National Institute of Fine Arts of Mexico, California Institute of the Arts, and with Jacques Castérède in France. Often incorporating Latin American themes, his works have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra Mexico, YOSA Philharmonic, Pan American Symphony, l’Orchestre de Paris, Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon.

CISAC Director General Gadi Oron said: “Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Arturo Márquez are outstanding, inspirational creators, and I’m delighted CISAC will be able to benefit from their energy and authority in campaigning for creators worldwide. They join us as Vice Presidents at a critical moment for CISAC’s work, with millions of creators facing loss of their livelihoods and the challenge of rebuilding their careers. We are looking forward greatly to our collaboration and their support.”

Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Arturo Márquez join world-renowned Chinese director, writer and producer Jia Zhang-ke and Spanish International Neo-Expressionist visual artist Miquel Barceló as the four Vice Presidents of the Confederation.

In a first of its kind for Ireland’s creative sector, Minding Creative Minds (MCM), a free 24/7 wellbeing support programme for the Irish Music Sector, delivered by Spectrum Life, was launched this week.

The initial phase of Minding Creative Minds, a free 24/7 Wellbeing and support programme goes live for musicians, songwriters, artist managers and event production crew.  MCM is a Mental Wellbeing Support Programme and includes access to the following wellbeing services:

•       24/7 Dedicated Phone Line (Phone 1800 814 244) (Calling from NI – 0800 0903677)
•       Counselling Service (Short term intervention / Up to 6 Sessions)
•       Telephone Counselling 
•       Secure Video Counselling
•       Extensive Web Portal & App enabling live chat function with a counsellor                           

In addition to the mental health support system offered, Minding Creative Minds looks at the whole individual resulting in the programme also offering access to a number of additional services structured to help users with various issues they may face such as:

• Advice on practical, day-to-day issues that cause anxiety and stress
• Legal assistance for a range of issues
• Financial assistance and consumer advice
• Career guidance and life coaching
• Support for non-Irish nationals and their families
• Mediation for conflict resolution

Originally it was intended to launch the Minding Creative Minds 24/7 Mental Wellbeing programme later this summer.  However, in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic the launch date was brought forward to June 2nd as the current pandemic is having a devastating impact on the music sector. Live work has been decimated and as a result income for many independent artists and their crews has stopped without notice. This programme is open to musicians, songwriters, artist managers & event production crew in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Approximately 20,000 people in the music sector in Ireland (including Northern Ireland) are eligible to access these services.

Minding Creative Minds (MCM) is the brainchild of David Reid who is the Co-founder & organiser of the RTE Choice Music Prize and has been a board member and project manager with First Fortnight a charity which challenges mental health prejudice through arts and cultural action since 2010. David also holds an MA in Psychotherapy.

Speaking of the launch, David said, ”We are delighted to launch this critical support programme that will give musicians, songwriters, artist managers & event production crew the opportunity to mind their mental wellbeing and be able to contact qualified counsellors and experts in different fields such as financial planning, legal and career matters enabling expert advice and helping to manage personal issues they might be facing. Working in collaboration with our partner organisations we can now provide a credible support structure for this sector. We look forward to extending this programme within the Irish music Industry and to enable this service to be available to the entire Irish Creative Community in due course.”

Minding Creative Minds is Funded by:

• First Fortnight (Lead Partner)
• IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation)
• IRMA (Irish Recorded Music Association)
• RAAP (Recorded Artists, Actors & Performers)
• Universal Music Ireland
• The BAI (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland)
• The RTE Choice Music Prize

The Minding Creative Minds programme partner is Spectrum Life. Spectrum Life has a network of 480 counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists and also provides EAP services for companies like Vodafone, Amazon, and Laya Healthcare.

Last year First Fortnight conducted a comprehensive survey (1391 respondents) amongst the music & creative community in relation to mental health and the responses were stark and align with worldwide research. 91% of respondents said that they had experienced anxiety/depression/mental ill health and 95% said that there was a need for a dedicated mental wellbeing support programme for members of the Irish Music & Creative Community.

“As musicians and writers, we have always been susceptible to the stresses and strains that are part and parcel of the challenging environment that we call the music industry, but never before have we faced the level of uncertainty that is now before us.  Creative people, by our nature, have a particular set of pressures that are specific to our work and our nature. This comprehensive programme is specifically designed to cater for these issues.  I have no doubt that this initiative will save lives.” –  Eleanor McEvoy, IMRO Chairperson.

“If ever there was a right time to offer support to people affected by the Covid 19 Pandemic that time is now. We at the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) are helping to fund this great Mental Health initiative ‘Minding Creative Minds’ and we hope it will assist people in the music Industry to deal with the issues of mental wellbeing.” Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA.

“Musicians and members of the creative sector, with their particular professional pressures and community standing, are likely to be experiencing both good and bad days – there may be moments of clarity alongside moments when it all feels too much. ‘Minding Creative Minds’ is here to provide you with the support you need at the time you need it. Launching on June 2nd, ‘Minding Creative Minds’ is an independent, confidential, complimentary mental health support that is accessible to members of the music sector and their dependants across Ireland, at any time of the day or night. We hope that knowing this support is here for you gives you some solace on both the good and bad days which may lie ahead.” Emelina Ellis, Clinical Lead Spectrum Life.

An advisory panel assembled to help make this programme a reality includes the following industry specialists; Ken Allen, Manager of James Vincent McMorrow & IRMA Board Member, Lynne Best, Board Member Oh Yeah  Music Centre, Belfast, Bressie, Artist & Co-Founder A Lust for Life,  Louize Carroll, Artist & Occupational Psychologist, Emma Matthews, Board Member First Fortnight, Alan McEvoy, Music & Entertainment Accountant, Eleanor McEvoy, Artist / Chairperson of IMRO, Dr Eddie Murphy, Clinical Psychologist, Emma Olohan, Fundraising & Sponsorship Executive, Willie Ryan, Music & Media Lawyer Aoife Ruth, Psychotherapist, Educator & Researcher, Gary Sheehan, Head of Programming NCH, Ann Marie Shields, Head of Careers, Industry & Events BIMM College, Jack Williamson, Founder & CEO Music And You.

Minding Creative Minds (MCM) was launched on RTÉ 2FM this week with a series of promos and interviews about Minding Creative Minds due to run across the channel in the coming weeks.  Dan Healy, Station Head at 2FM said: “2FM is the ideal platform to get this important message to the many musicians and young industry professionals who need to know about it. We’re proud to be able to get involved.“

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‘Minding Creative Minds’ offers the following wellbeing services to Irish Musicians, Songwriters, Artist Managers & Event Production Crew:

·        24/7 Dedicated Phone Line:    

Access to experienced team of trained counsellors and psychotherapists who can offer short-term intervention and advice covering practical, day-to-day issues that cause anxiety and stress.                                                                       

(When a caller contacts ‘Minding Creative Minds’ they will immediately be speaking to an accredited counsellor or psychotherapist who will become the caller’s Case Manager)

24/7 Helpline number:  Phone 1800 814 244 (Calling from NI – 0800 0903677)

International Number – 00353 1 518 0277

·        Counselling Service (Short term intervention / Up to 6 Sessions):

This includes face to face counselling video or telephone counselling. Important to note video and telephone counselling are only available at the moment due to current public health restrictions. If an individual is referred on for video counselling by their case manager, they will be provided with a link to access live video conferencing with their counsellor (separate to the ‘Minding Creative Minds’ wellbeing portal)

·        Advanced Counselling / Psychology Services:

If an individual presents with a Mental Health difficulty that is not suitable for short term intervention the Case Manager can discuss with the user the most appropriate care pathway to support their presenting issue, this may entail more long term treatment or GP referral.

·        Extensive web portal & App / Live online Chat feature

The ‘Minding Creative Minds’ Platform & App enables a live chat function with a counsellor 365 days per year (7am – 10pm daily) and offers users convenient, confidential access to helpful videos, podcasts and blogs on topics around mental health, reducing stress, mindfulness, sleep, nutrition and more.

Other Services:

Looking at the whole individual in the complete context of their minds, the ‘Minding Creative Minds’ programme includes access to a number of additional services to help users overcome various practical issues they may face:

• Advice on practical, day-to-day issues that cause anxiety and stress.

• Legal Assistance – Consultation with Irish solicitors including those specialised in family law matters, property conveyancing, criminal law.

• Financial Assistance and Consumer Assistance – Consultation with qualified Financial Advisors who can offer advice on household budgeting, borrowing/debt management, retirement planning, saving and investment advice.

• Career Guidance and Life Coaching – Access a panel of career coach specialists in career guidance.

• Support for non-Irish nationals and their families – helping to make the transition into the Irish system as smooth as possible.

• Mediation Services – Help with disputes in the workplace, or issues related to family business, defective goods and services, building and construction.

For further details visit: http://mindingcreativeminds.ie/

A Working Group chaired by Sophie Ridley of Safents Consulting, has formed to represent the Live Events Sector in Ireland. Over the coming months the grouping will lobby government on a range of issues impacting the live sector during the current pandemic crisis. One area that it will focus on initially is lobbying government for an extension to the Covid-19 payment scheme currently available to individuals working on a freelance basis within the sector.

The group are carrying out a comprehensive census of people working in all areas of Live Events on this island. Even if you work predominantly overseas but you are based in Ireland they would like you to participate.

Survey: https://forms.gle/whRNwFHvgTszeQuL9

Event Production Ireland Covid-19 Working Group

1. Sophie Ridley (Safents Consulting) – Chairperson
2. Liam Fitzgerald (Bord Gaís Energy Theatre Technical Manager) – AIST Representative
3. Shane Dunne (MD Indiependence Music Festival) – Promoter / Venue Representative
4. Murt Whelan (MD MWS) – Contractors / Suppliers Representative
5. Pearse Doherty (Head of Production : Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture) – Crew / Events Personnel Representative
6. Tony Killeen (Site Manager & Director of Production at St. Patrick’s Festival) – Production Managers / Event Managers / Event Controllers / Event Safety Representative
7. Kim O’Callaghan (Project Mgr & Deputy Event Controller MCD / CEO EVNTZ App) – General Representative
8. Michael Young (MD Vision Safety Consultants) – General Representative

Ronan Murphy – Census Administrator eventindustrycensus2020@nullgmail.com