The fund will support those impacted by the cancellation of Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2020.
With restrictions on non-essential gatherings causing the cancellation of this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, many performers and crew members have been impacted enormously.
Scheduled to kick off on Wednesday March 25, MICF 2020 was due to feature a record-breaking 640 shows across its three-and-a-half weeks.
Not only has the cancellation been a massive blow for performers, but it poses significant challenges for technical, box office, front of house, production and associated support staff, all while the entire entertainment industry is struggling.
To combat the huge loss of income caused by the forced cancellation, as well as the emotional impact it has had on performers and crew, MICF has set up a fund for those effected.
“Performers and support crew who never fail to lend their talents to fund-raisers when the community is in need, are now in need themselves as venues close all over Australia,” said a MICF spokesperson in a statement.
“Many patrons have made the decision to donate the value of their purchased tickets to the artist concerned rather than receive a refund. Some ticket holders have the option of donating all, or part of their purchase directly to the artist as well as making a direct donation to support cancelled Festival performances.”
If you had already purchased tickets to a MICF show, you can opt to donate the price of your ticket instead of receiving a refund. You can also make direct donations to performers through the MICF website. Alternatively, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the wider comedy industry and staff.
Laughter truly is the best medicine, and we’ll all be needing a big dose of it when the coronavirus chaos blows over, so consider investing in the future of the entertainment industry by donating, if you can.
Donations can be made here.
