Tuesday 22nd June, 2021
Van Morrison launched a third-round of his ‘Hardship Fund’ to support musicians in Northern Ireland. During the pandemic Mr. Morrison has provided grants to local musicians who have been abandoned by government.
Van Morrison launched a third-round of his ‘Hardship Fund’ to support musicians in Northern Ireland. During the pandemic Mr. Morrison has provided grants to local musicians who have been abandoned by government.
In light of last Thursday’s NI Executive decision to continue its ban on live music, Mr. Morrison has instructed his lawyer Joe Rice, John J Rice & Co to institute legal proceedings for leave to apply for judicial review of the lawfulness of Regulation 5 of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 which effects a blanket ban on live music in both licensed and unlicensed venues selling food or drink in Northern Ireland.
Since February of this year, Mr. Morrison has engaged with a range of government departments and organisations involved in developing proposals including the ‘Live Events Working Group’, ‘Business Tourism Working Group’, Hospitality UK, Department of Communities and The Executive Office.
Mr. Morrison said: “I have tried to be constructive over the past fifteen months in engaging with government to propose practical suggestions as to how we bring back live music events based on robust individual health and safety risk assessments. I played at the London Palladium in front of a live audience earlier this month. I can’t play in my hometown to a limited audience. Where is the scientific or medical evidence to support this blanket ban on live music? After over a year, they still haven’t provided the evidence.”
One of those musicians supported by Mr. Morrison’s ‘Hardship Fund’ in recent months is Conal Montgomery who said: “Live music and musicians have been totally discarded by the government. The one thing that shines a light in any bad situation is live music, it takes you away from your traumas and helps you heal. Live music is being performed successfully elsewhere in this world in countries encountering the same problems as ourselves and I fail to see why our Assembly continues to prevent us from doing so as well.”
