SXSW host city Austin, TX (photo: Avi Werde)
The ‘Banding Together ATX’ fundraiser aims to compensate businesses, artists, and professionals affected by SXSW 2020’s cancellation.
In the wake of SXSW’s cancellation over coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, corporate sponsors have launched a fundraising initiative to help Austin businesses, employees, and artists compensate for lost income and promotion.
SXSW 2019 had an estimated $355.9 million impact on Austin’s economy, and naturally, local companies, artists, and service workers, to name just some, have been impacted financially by the decision to scrap this year’s edition. The economic blow is said to have been amplified by the last-minute nature of the cancellation, which came after much preparation and related work had already been performed.
Now, artist-booking platform Prism.fm has teamed up with Heard Presents, an event promotion company, for “Banding Together ATX.” A number of Austin businesses have also co-sponsored the charitable effort, which will facilitate live performances and showcases to “make ten glorious days of music, art, culture and technology happen across our city,” thereby providing individuals with compensation and affording companies a chance to make up for some of their lost revenue.
Said replacement showcases are being planned presently, and anyone “whose lifeblood is subsidized by SXSW” can reach out to Banding Together’s sponsors for support. Donors will be “granted priority access” to the shows that result from the fundraiser.
SXSW 2020 was scheduled to take place between March 13th and 22nd, but corporate cancellations—from the likes of Netflix, Apple, Twitter, Facebook, and the Big Three record labels—were amplified by growing concerns among attendees. The situation prompted city officials to scrap the event for the first time in its 34-year history.
In the preceding weeks, SXSW organizers had insisted that the 10-day gathering would go on as planned. To be sure, SXSW’s official announcement of the cancellation struck something of a defiant tone, placing the weight of the decision on “the City of Austin” and reiterating that Austin Public Health doesn’t believe that the cancellation will improve the safety of Austin residents.
At the time of this piece’s writing, Banding Together ATX had raised approximately $8,000 on GoFundMe.
How fragile who knew
While musicians song writers starve as the industry takes every fraction of a cent away from us the store fronts can’t handle any cancellations
No wonder the THEFT has been so savage to ACTUAL CREATORS who make it work month after month with NO HELP FROM GOVT OR THE INDUSTRY to curbs what is the greatest art THEFT in history
This is how easily the industry comes down
Dance in the ashes fellow creators
Compose opuses to exhalt the waling of the MEGA rich whom have stolen pennies from your mouth to buy a 4th house and sugar the noses of all the lawyers who have infiltrated the music business promoted entertainers over musicians
A charity event for Stallin would be less grotesque
You can’t run we creators know who you are
And we will remember
You may want to consider checking yourself back in and taking those meds they prescribed you.
It is normal to insult those you have injured
Lame
Oh here is a wailing simp now
how much money did you steal from artists today
How’s the view in your mansion
Enjoying the feeling of the walls closing in
Because they are you THIEF
I love the back end of this site you can see who’s commenting here
It’s usually the authors
They are NEVER on the musicians side
Can I send you some money to buy a period? They are commonly used to alert the reader that your sentence has ended.
Trish…You got a little something on your nose
Probibally baby powder
Right Tish
Sniff Sniff
Zzzz