Post by Traditional Music Forum on May 19, 2021 11:39:08 GMT
A weekly two minute catch-up for members from the
TMF Director's desk
These are some of the things that have caught my attention this week.
Today (14th) is World Play a Strathspey Day! All Scotch snappy renditions welcome on social media with the hashtag #worldplayastrathspeyday
Our Mentoring Co-ordinator, Jo Miller, took part in a panel at Oxford Brookes University last week and gave an excellent summary of the TradMentor programme. Starts about 11 minutes in.
A lot of our members are effectively social enterprises although many don't think of themselves that way. SENScot, the umbrella body for social enterprises in Scotland, launched its new website last week with lots of information about resources and projects, and a map of the various sources of support. There's a whole world of funding out there away from arts and culture that is well worth looking into.
After the hoohah a few weeks ago about PRS's licence for online live streaming they've had a rethink. There was a lot of argument about whether an online gig is a live show or a stream. If the former then the 4% rate for performing rights that most promoters are used to applies. If the latter then there's not only the performing right but reproduction rights as well, which brings in more parties with a stake in the songs. It's the latter interpretation that applies, so PRS brought in a one-stop licence that was criticised for the rates (8% as opposed to 4% for shows grossing up to £50k and a sliding scale thereafter) and for the intention to backdate demands for payment for shows that took place during Covid. Drop me a line if this is something you're affected by and I can send you a summary from the excellent Chris Cooke of the changes and responses to them.
Twitter now has a tip jar for anyone putting up performances on its platform.
The Polish Club in Kirkcaldy, the venue for the popular monthly Acoustic Music Club is under threat, with the owners looking to sell. This would mean the loss of a great social hub as well as a venue loved by artists and audiences alike. Petition here.
A lot of noise around things re-opening after May 17th, but still no joy for indoor live events as long as the two metre distancing stays in place. It just doesn't work at the box office, and there's a sense that being part of a scattered audience, especially in a large venue, won't be much crack either. The results of the Liverpool experiment are eagerly awaited.
Whatever your politics, The National does a pretty good job of covering our music, certainly compared to the other dailies. Excellent article earlier in the week about a new project from enterprising and creative duo, Twelfth Day.
A new network on the block covers an area of work that is becoming increasingly important for people and organisations in the cultural sector. Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland is available to join for anyone with an interest in this field.
My earworm this week is this polyrhythmic epic re-discovered on a long neglected vinyl album by Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited. I defy you to stay still...
All the best
DF
David Francis is Director of the Traditional Music Forum
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