Due to the impact of the lockdown and social distancing measures for Covid-19, music and theatre venues have been closed in the UK and across Europe since March. All our CMF Artists had all their performances cancelled for the foreseeable future, as far ahead as December and into 2021. Musicians have been struggling to pay rent and buy essentials. The situation has also taken its toll on their well-being and self-esteem, as well as on audiences, who depend on live music for spiritual solace.

CMF will now develop, curate and promote an additional series of 10 fully paid recitals in 2021 for our musicians to help their finances and their well-being, and to bring live music back to their audiences too. Many venues cannot now afford to restart in the new circumstances without us doing this. This is as well as the core CMF Artist Programme which we have adapted under lockdown, with a new Hardship Fund, weekly workshops, website building, commissioning new music, and streamed recitals.