Amplify BC Fund Renewal 2021: We need your help!

A letter from the Executive Director, Music BC Industry Association

Dear music industry colleagues,

As many of you know, Music BC has been leading the lobby efforts for the renewal of the Amplify BC fund since its inception, and now we are seeking your letter of support for a long-term investment in the program.

Amplify BC was established after two years of the BC Music Fund (BCMF), implemented in 2016 which injected $15m over two years into the BC Music economy, providing a significant return on investment across the Province economically and culturally. With the current government, the BCMF was extended and rebranded as Amplify BC, a $7.5m one-year investment, currently under the stewardship of Minister Melanie Mark (Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport). 

The government’s creation of Amplify BC for the Music Industry in 2018 has been key to driving the success and retention of British Columbia’s music creators and professionals over the last three years. As a result, the fund has been instrumental in bringing investment into the province by companies both large and small. 

Since the beginning, these music funds have been earmarked under the Province’s discretionary budget versus a fixed line-item in the budget. We are currently in our third year of the Amplify BC program, and until the fund becomes a fixed line-item investment in the provincial budget, we will continue to seek your annual support for a renewal so we can collectively express how imperative this investment is in ensuring a prosperous future for BC’s music economy.

How can you help?

Draft a personal letter of support for the renewal of Amplify BC and include the following:

1. Name, job title, and (if applicable), company + number of people employed + brief company overview.
    
2. Personal stories with examples of how Amplify BC has helped further your business and/or musical career to date. Include metrics such as: Employment (jobs created), Economic, Social and/or Cultural Impact, Private and Public funding leveraged as a result of your Amplify BC support.
   
   For example: “We have been fortunate enough to receive $X in support through Amplify BC to support X project/initiative, which allowed us to do X”.
    
   Example metrics to consider: Did support through Amplify BC (see programs listed below) allow you to do the following: Leverage private or public funds? Hire any new positions in BC? Expand your company’s services and/or revenue? Expand your business internationally? Grow your audience? (Fans/Festival attendees/Venues), Grow your online streaming numbers/social media or physical sales? Secure a label or publishing deal, management or a booking agent? Was there a label advance? What is your projected revenue, royalties and so on because of these new developments? 
    
3. Answer the question “What would a three-year investment in Amplify BC mean for the recovery of BC’s music sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?”
    
4. And finally, state your recommendation for a three-year commitment of the Amplify BC music fund at $7.5m per year ($22.5m total) in order to continue along a path of recovery to rebuild a strong, sustainable, and economic future for the music industry in BC.
    
5. If possible, include a virtual meeting request with your MLA to discuss your letter of support for a three-year investment of Amplify BC by the province.

Still need suggestions on how to build your letter? See other talking points and rationale here.

How to address your letter:

To your MLA,
(link to MLA finder here: https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members)

CC:
– Hon. Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport 
TAC.Minister@gov.bc.ca
– Hon. Selina Robinson, Minister of Finance 
  FIN.Minister@gov.bc.ca
– Bob D’Eith, Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film, MLA
bob.deith.MLA@leg.bc.ca
– Lindsay MacPherson, Executive Director, Music BC Industry Association
lindsay@musicbc.org

When should these be submitted?

The province is undergoing budget planning as we speak, so time is of the essence! We kindly ask that if you are planning to support the effort for the renewal of the Amplify BC fund through an ongoing investment from the province, you do so by emailing your letter by March 19th, 2021.

To read the full call for support, click here