Significant donations are made by CMOs from across the world to the solidarity funds set up under this initiative.

In May, two months after its initial launch, #CreatorsForUkraine fund reached €1.4 million and counting. A large part has already been distributed to individual creators in Ukraine, to humanitarian organisations and to specific projects aiding Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries.

ZAiKS is particularly engaged in assisting Ukrainian artists and cultural workers who have fled Ukraine and sought refuge in Poland. Until this moment they contributed 100 grants to the Ukraine fund and they have opened Houses of Creativity to host Ukrainian creators and their families in Poland.

In addition to raising funds, the global project aims to mobilise support from creators internationally: an open letter from creators across the world is calling on “Russia to cease its killing of innocent civilians, its destruction of towns and cities, its assault on freedom and democracy, its violation of human rights, and its attack on culture.” All creators everywhere are invited to join this initiative, sign this message and share it using the hashtag #CreatorsForUkraine.

We are happy to announce that by end of April more than 4000 artists from around the world have signed an open letter to support creators in Ukraine to express themselves as “one united voice”. The signatures were delivered to Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Mr. Oleksandr Tkachenko by CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus as part of #CreatorsForUkraine initiative.

Our Hungarian member,ARTISJUS, initiated #SongsForUkraine, a global campaign to promote Ukrainian culture, which is also part of the overall #CreatorsForUkraine campaign. Radio and television stations and other music providers are called on to select Ukrainian songs for their channel’s programs. Fans are encouraged to listen to and watch Ukrainian content on the streaming platforms and share their favourite song, etc. on social media using the hashtag #SongsForUkraine. By joining Songs for Ukraine, people everywhere in the world can express their solidarity with Ukraine and help earn extra income for the creators at the same time. The royalty coming from the plays on licensed platforms (radio or TV stations, streaming platforms) will reach the authors of the Ukrainian songs through the Ukrainian authors’ society.

Artisjus has compiled playlists that contain Ukrainian songs and are genre-diverse, in collaboration with UACRR, the Ukrainian authors’ society.

Playlist for Ukraine #1

Playlist for Ukraine #2

Ukrainian authors’ society, NGO UACRR, together with the Polish authors’ society ZAiKS and international umbrella organisation CISAC, have launched several initiatives to support and promote Ukrainian artists, among them a project called Voices of Creators to hear their voices and testimonies.

Maryna Krut, more famous as KRUTЬ, a renowned Ukrainian singer and songwriter, is among them. In her opinion art is necessary, even during war because it is a proof of life. Read her full testimony on the Facebook page of Creators for Ukraine.

Darina Krasnovecka, a 13-year-old Ukrainian singer who represented Ukraine at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, highlights the harsh reality that the Russian invasion brought with it – several Ukrainian, among them artists, had to flee their own country. Watch her full testimony here.

Our French member, SACEM, conducted a brief interview with Evgueni Galperine, a French composer of Russian and Ukrainian ancestry who lives and works in Paris, but is in close contact with his Ukrainian artist and creator friends. Those who stayed resumed work despite the bombing, while those who fled are living day to day, looking for shelter, food, and a job related to their profession. The entire interview may be found here.

AKKA/LAA donated 50 000 EUR to the #StandWithUkraine campaign

Our Latvian member donated 50 000 EUR to #StandWithUkraine campaign. Moreover, by the decision of the Board, the Latvian authors’ society is granting free copyright licences for concerts and other events held in support of Ukraine, if 100% of gross receipts are being donated. Nevertheless, remuneration for Ukrainian authors is still collected. In the frames of the #StandWithUkraine project, several events were organised in the past – “Latvian Rap Artists Against War in Ukraine”, a benefit concert in support of Ukraine, Daugavpils, etc. In addition, the front man of the Latvian band “Prāta vētra”/”Brainstorm” Renārs Kaupers sang “My Song” in Ukrainian, a language, he otherwise does not speak. Aleksandra Špicberga, one of the most versatile singers of the new generation in Latvia, wrote a prayer to Jesus in Ukrainian, together with a male vocal group.

AKKA/LAA members also provide help on a daily basis, including the singer and Eurovision 2002 prize winner Marija Naumova, who, with her husband, has helped more than 3 500 Ukrainians that fled to Latvia.

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OSA organised a public collection to help Ukrainian authors and artists

Our Czech member, OSA, organised a public collection to help Ukrainian authors and artists. A total of CZK 621 400 has been collected so far. A portion of this money will be donated directly to the NGO UACRR for the support of Ukrainian authors and artists in the next days. The remaining funds will be used to support Ukrainian authors, artists, and their families in the Czech Republic.

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SOZA set funds to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine

Our Slovak member SOZA, set funds to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine. To further help Ukraine, SOZA is launching a public fundraiser through the Donio platform, as well as a partnership with events called Concert for Ukraine, which took place in the largest Slovak cities. All the money raised will go to the humanitarian organizations that provide assistance to Ukraine.

SOZA has as well created a special call to help music artists and authors from Ukraine who are in Slovakia due to the war conflict in their country. To date, SOZA is opening a call based on a decision of the Supervisory Board, in which authors and artists from Ukraine located in Slovakia can apply for financial aid to ensure basic living needs. The call is intended for music artists and authors from Ukraine who has found themselves in Slovakia due to the war. The obtained aid can be used to secure the basic cost of living. Artists and authors from Ukraine can join the call by completing a short application, which is available here.

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SPAutores published a song “Azul e Amaerelo. O Destino”

GESAC Portuguese member, SPAutores, published a song “Azul e Amarelo. O Destino”, meaning “Blue and Yellow. The Destiny. The lyrics of the song were originally written by José Jorge Letria, Portuguese poet, composer, CEO of SPAutores and GESAC Board Member, whilst Carlos Mendes, Portugues singer, actor, and composer, composed the music, and well-known Portuguese artists are the ones performing it – Amélia Muge, António Manuel Ribeiro, Carlos Mendes, Mafalda Veiga, Paulo de Carvalho, Rita Redshoes, Tozé Brito, Vitorino Salomé and Viviane.

The royalties of the song will go to help Ukraine.

A delegation representing Ukrainian authors and the cultural sector travelled to Brussels on 15 June to meet with EU decision-makers in order to raise awareness about the situation of creators in their country during the war and to ensure that necessary political attention is given in Europe to the concerns of cultural life in Ukraine, as summer vacation approaches for most people and immediate interests are diverted with changing daily political priorities and realities. They met with the current and upcoming Presidencies of the EU, Members of the European Parliament, and the European Commission.

Read more to learn more about the delegation’s visit here.

GESAC stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, their creators and cultural sector.

Read the full statement here.