ABOUT

Launched in June 2020, Performing Arts Managers and Agents Coalition is a group of 250+ artist managers, booking agents and independent producers in the performing arts industry. Founded by Charlotte Lee of Primo Artists, in collaboration with David Lai and Cindy Liu at Park Avenue Artists, PAMAC has united our segment of the U.S. performing arts field for the first time, with a mission of working together in collective action to advocate for arts support relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our work depends exclusively on mass gatherings. Though many businesses have begun to reopen, our industry cannot resume operations until live performances can take place. We will be the last ones to return to work. We derive virtually 100% of our revenue on commissions and fees from our artists’ and shows’ performance fees or ticket sales. Our ability to return to work is contingent upon the development of a vaccine, as it is the only way venues can once again fill to capacity. With no foreseeable return to full-capacity performances in the United States before September 2021, this leaves our income nearly eradicated for a total of 18 months and in an existential situation.

When people think of the performing arts, they think of the people on stage and those who present their performances, such as orchestras and concert halls, but they may not realize there are people behind the stage, on the road, and moving and shaking to put people on stage every week. We feel it is important to have our own initiative so we can use our voices to build awareness of our vital role in this fragile ecosystem, to express the plight of our sector, and to advocate specifically for what we need and what our artists need while amplifying the advocacy requests of the arts field. Without extended support relief, many agencies – who play the vital role of enabling the top performing artists to bring their live performances to concert stages around the world – will fold or have to terminate most of our staff. That will leave many of our artists without representation and without anyone protecting their interests or negotiating for opportunities on their behalf, leaving even more artists without income and work opportunities.

Together with all our peers, we are taking our message to the world and to Congressional leaders to urge them to legislate for extensions and recapitalization of funding for the entire arts sector. We are grateful for the support from 29 arts service organizations, including Americans for the Arts and the League of American Orchestras, who represent nonprofit organizations that present performances in partnership with agents, managers and producers. As we share our unique story of this segment of the arts field, we reinforce the policy requests made by the broader arts sector.

The core group of our coalition started with a focus on Classical music. Once we launched our Change.org petition on June 4, 2020, word about the movement spread swiftly through the industry. Thousands have been hearing about our movement and setting out to join and support it: Artist managers, booking agents, independent producers, performing artists, concert presenters, promoters, industry executives and entrepreneurs, composers, academics, gig workers, fans, and music lovers. With the support of our ally organizations broadening our reach, the petition is now on its way to 10,000 signatures in 10 days, and our coalition has rapidly expanded to represent all genres: Acapella, Acrobatics, Acting, Americana, Attractions, Avant-garde, Bluegrass, Blues, Broadway, Cabaret, Celtic/Irish, Choral, Circus, Classical, Comedy, Composition, Country, Dance, Doo Wop, Early Music, Electronica, Family, Film/Multi-Media, Folk, Funk, Fusion, Global Roots, Gospel, Guitar, Historical Performance, Indie, Instrumental, Jazz, Latin, Impressionists, Magic & Illusion, Mediterranean, Musical Theater, Old-time, Orchestral Pop, Physical Theater, Pop, R&B, Reggae, Rock, Singer-Songwriters, Spoken Word, Theater, TV Productions, Vocal, and World Music and beyond.

Our coalition comprises 250+ performing arts agencies across the United States, from New York to Hawaii. All the agencies have signed our letter to Congress and our constituents have commenced our lobbying to Congressional leaders and elected officials.

Our work has allowed us to reach public officials and representatives at all federal levels, most notably in a conference call with Senator Mitch McConnell's Chief of Staff. As 2020 drew to a close, PAMAC celebrated the passage of the $15 billion Save Our Stages Act, now known as the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant, in the second federal COVID-19 relief package, as well as the additional $1.25 billion in federal funding allocated in the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.

We are continuing to make an urgent appeal to Congress to continue prioritizing economic support for the U.S. arts sector as follows:

1. Expand the Economic Injury Disaster Loans program:
Provide a new round of EIDL loan advances for arts businesses that will not have to be repaid. Increase the maximum loan advance amount from $10,000 at $1,000 per worker to $50,000 at $5,000 per worker. For businesses with fewer than 10 workers, allow Independent Contractors to be considered workers under this plan.

2. Recapitalize and Extend the Paycheck Protection Program:
Provide new opportunities for arts businesses to apply for PPP funding beyond May 31, 2021, and be considered for forgivable loans that are worth 20 times average monthly payroll costs across an extended duration of 15 months.

3. Expand the Pandemic Unemployment Benefits program:
Increase funding for State Unemployment Assistance programs. Extend the $300 weekly payment as part of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program beyond September 14, 2021 to December 14, 2021.

Ensure that artists and gig economy workers with mixed-income sources, such as W-2 and 1099, receive full support rather than being unfairly limited to partial benefits.

It is vital to secure relief through legislative action as we continue grappling with this unprecedented burden on our industry. It is the only way to protect an indispensable part of America’s cultural and social fabric.