skip to main content

Greater Manchester Commissions Creative Responses to COVID-19

Greater Manchester Combined Authority has granted 60 micro commissions worth £500.

Published: 31 March 2020 | 12:00 AM Updated: 28 April 2021 | 4:30 PM
Manchester skyline
Work created will form a permanent archive of Greater Manchester’s creative response to COVID-19. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

These commissions are to be given to selected artists and creators, based in Greater Manchester, across all artforms (music, art, poetry, theatre, short stories, design, gaming, stories etc). Work created will form a permanent archive of Greater Manchester’s creative response to COVID-19.

Applicants are not asked to submit the new work in response to the call for commissions (to save people not selected creating speculatively, and then ending up unpaid for the time spent on creation).  Instead applicants are asked to provide information on previous work and a brief summary of the work they would like to create.

Once decisions have been made, artists will be advanced funds and given a month to deliver the commission. As commissions come in, they will be shared in an online archive available to all.

To request an application form, email CultureTeam@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk.

You can read more details here.

Help us represent you

Greater Manchester Combined Authority listened to the needs of local musicians, artists and other creatives when creating their new commission.

So that we can represent your needs, it’s important that we keep hearing from you too. Keep letting us know how COVID-19 has been affecting you work by completing our short survey.

Even if you’ve completed it before, if things have changed then please update us.

How have you been impacted?

Get MU membership today

From gig players to part-time teachers and professional instrumentalists, MU members can access specialist insurance for musicians. This includes Public Liability, Instrument and Equipment Insurance, Accident Insurance, Tax Investigation Insurance, and Professional Indemnity Insurance for music teachers.

Explore our member services

  • Get public liability insurance for musicians
  • Access expert legal support
  • Be represented in your profession
  • Access expert career advice, resources, and training events
  • Connect, network, and get to know the community of musicians

Learn about all membership benefits

Get MU membership today

Continue reading

MU members and staff standing in front of the Union's bright yellow marching banner which reads

MU Members Join TUC May Day March in Leeds

MU members and staff took part in the TUC May Day event in Leeds on 2 May, joining trade union colleagues from across the movement in a show of solidarity and collective action.

Published: 15 May 2026

Read more about MU Members Join TUC May Day March in Leeds
Jenny is wearing a rainbow hat and two MU members are wearing Union branded t-shirts, carrying flags and a keyboard.

‘At the Heart of Democracy’: MU Marks IDAHOBIT 2026

Ahead of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) on May 17, the MU reflects on a year of member stories, activism and solidarity across the music industry, highlighting the importance of LGBTQ+ voices within the Union and beyond.

Published: 14 May 2026

Read more about ‘At the Heart of Democracy’: MU Marks IDAHOBIT 2026
Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool at sunset.

Outer Waves Festival Returns to Liverpool with MU Member Discount

Outer Waves Festival, the North West's newest celebration of underground arts returns to Liverpool 23-24 May 2026. MU North of England Regional Officer Philip Morris will join a panel on gentrification, and MU members can access discounted weekend tickets.

Published: 13 May 2026

Member only Read more about Outer Waves Festival Returns to Liverpool with MU Member Discount
Women sat in front of some water at sunset with headphones on.

Three in Four Performing Arts Professionals Face Career-Impacting Health Issues Says New BAPAM Report

A new BAPAM Impact Report reveals that 75% of performing arts professionals will face a career-impacting health issue, as demand for specialist support reaches record levels. The MU is among the organisations supporting BAPAM’s work to improve health provision across the sector.

Published: 13 May 2026

Read more about Three in Four Performing Arts Professionals Face Career-Impacting Health Issues Says New BAPAM Report