Support for Ukraine
IMPALA opposes the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The European independent music community stands together with the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian music community.
Since the start, IMPALA has been encouraging support for the Ukrainian culture sector alongside other associations concerned about the impact of the invasion on civil society and Russia’s restriction of news and culture. You can sign the petition here. Over the past decade IMPALA and other European associations have developed deep ties with counterpart organisations in Ukraine, as well as Russia.
As in other sectors, IMPALA members are concerned about isolation of the cultural sector in both Ukraine and Russia. IMPALA supports independent music companies taking decisions about how they should respond, whether it’s cutting trade with Russia or other forms of support for Ukraine.
We also express our solidarity with those in Russia who oppose the actions of Vladimir Putin.
Russia has decided to block intellectual property payments to the EU and other jurisdictions dubbed as “enemy countries”, a move we oppose as tantamount to piracy.
Ways in which IMPALA can provide support are being looked at. In the meantime we are grouping together a list of initiatives across Europe for members to consider and we also welcome all moves by members to support national programmes already launched in different countries (see below).
Please also support the Ukrainian music scene directly by:
- Sharing music from Ukraine
- Urging local radio stations to play Ukrainian music
- Creating playlists of Ukrainian artists and sharing them as much as possible.
- Supporting organisations such as the Ukrainian Music Export Office – check their list of resources and information on how the music industry can help the people of Ukraine fight back and defend their freedom.
MUSIC INDUSTRY INITIATIVES
- Compilation by Epitaph and Anti- Records with 100% of the album proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders
- “MeMusician: Stand With Ukraine“ initiative: This MeMusician initiative is designed to support artists working creatively and building sustainable revenue streams on MeMusic by providing special offerings such as: Content Creation Fund of 10,000 USD, Free Artist-Tailored NFT Project, Artist Token Issuance, Marketing & PR Support, and more. More info here.
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
- Fundraising Campaign by Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Académies de Musique et Musikhochschulen (AEC). The goal of the campaign is to ultimately help Ukrainian Music Higher Education Institutions become as autonomous as possible from the external energy and heating systems by providing them with electricity generators and other appliances. Learn more here.
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT
- Doctors Without Borders / Medecins Sans Frontières
- ICRC – Red Cross’ International Committee
- UNICEF
- United Help Ukraine
- World Central Kitchen
- World Food Programme
- Germany: Sound of peace
- Hungary: Music Hungary
- Ireland: “How to help Ukraine now” website
- Romania: Dopomoha, Facebook support groups: Refugees Welcome to Romania, United for Ukraine.
- The Netherlands: H-art For Ukraine
- The UK: Disasters Emergency Committee, In Place of War fundraiser, Refugees Council fundraiser
Europe Day 2023: Kyiv’s Atlas music venue takes over the European capital with a fundraising event at Ancienne Belgique. This May 9th 2023, Liveurope invite you to celebrate Europe in music with a tribute to Ukraine’s musical scene, one of the most inspiring and resilient on the continent. More info on the event here.
In parallel to the event, Liveurope is launching a fundraising campaign for Music Saves UA, an initiative established by the Ukrainian Association of Music Events to provide humanitarian aid, such as the delivery of supplies (hygiene, food…) and the evacuation and resettlement of refugees.
Making a voluntary donation will make you discover the next generation of Ukrainian artists, and you will make a real difference in the lives of people who urgently need help (see link here). Each €10 collected will finance one humanitarian box providing food for one person for an entire week. The boxes will be mainly distributed in Kherson, the biggest city liberated by Ukrainian forces since the start of the war.
Listen to our 20MinutesWith podcast with Vlad Yaremchuck from the Ukrainian Association of Music Events (UAME), co-organiser of the Music Saves UA initiative and Atlas Festival’s organiser, on the situation in Ukraine and how to help here.
Check the compilation “Together with Ukraine”.