Audiences around the world will have access to music sessions from Irish artists through live streams.
An initiative called 'Ireland Performs', organised by Culture Ireland in conjunction with Facebook Ireland, is one element of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht programme to help artists affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It gives musicians and others a chance to perform at a time when all gigs and touring have been cancelled and they will be paid for their work.
The series of performances began with harpists Grainne Hambly and William Jackson. With a fund of €100,000, Kieran Hanrahan of Culture Ireland explains that artists are paid €1,000 per performance. He is hopeful that the financial backing will be extended into next month.
Another musician taking part in the series is Cormac Begley, who will perform live from west Kerry. With a lot of his gigs and events cancelled over the coming months, he welcomes the Ireland Performs initiative. This will be his first time performing over a live stream.
Many musicians, who have been badly hit by COVID-19 restrictions, have welcomed 'Ireland Performs'. Groups representing artists and musicians believe that more can be done to help a sector that has seen the cancellation of over 12,000 events with a resulting loss of earnings.
Anglea Dorgan of the National Campaign for the Arts says that the live music sector will take time to get back on its feet after restrictions are lifted. The National Campaign for the Arts has called for the introduction of a stabilisation fund with a commitment from government and arts agencies to finance organisations and artists.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 13 April 2020. The reporter is Sinéad Crowley.
