The global health crisis has brought the world of arts and culture to its knees. Performances and productions have been cancelled for months, causing many artists and creative workers to lose economic and social stability. The Verbier Festival Emergency Relief Fund was launched in April 2020 to offer support to those Verbier Festival family members most in need. The Fund provides grants to freelance, self-employed and newly unemployed alumni of the Verbier Festival Academy—those musicians who have been part of the Festival’s orchestras, soloist, chamber music, voice and conducting programmes—plus alumni production and technical crew. The following report summarises the Fund’s impact during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, from 15 April to 30 September 2020.
