The Government is to boost performance artists hit by Covid-19 restrictions with a string of free open-air concerts, senators were told today.

Ernest Peets, the youth culture and sport minister, said a lunchtime Creatives Live! concert series from the steps of City Hall in Hamilton, organised by the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, would start next Saturday.

Dr Peets added: “The support offered by this series is manifold.

“In addition to the musician being given an opportunity to perform, we are also using this series as a way of drawing attention to an online registry established by the department at www.creatives.bm.”

He said: “Creatives Live! is meant to focus primarily on established and experienced performers who have been financially impacted as a result of the pandemic.”

He added the department was committed to the development of the arts.

Dr Peets said: “To this end, the concert will also serve as a developmental opportunity for some younger, less experienced musicians looking for a chance to show off their talents.”

He added that the outdoor events could be enjoyed by shoppers and others walking past City Hall.

Dr Peets said: “This is also a way of enlivening the city and providing an upbeat atmosphere that can be enjoyed by the general public.”

He added the performances would also be recorded and published on the department’s “Bermuda Culture” YouTube channel.

Dr Peets added that DJ Barry G had, with support from the department, organised a radio show where he featured Bermudian musicians.

He said that Barry G had also recorded a series of short videos of singers featured on the show which would soon be released and that the artists could use them for promotional purposes.

Dr Peets told the Senate: “There are measures being put in place to assure that the our artistic community remains strong as we negotiate the pandemic.”

The concerts will be held on Friday or Saturday afternoons.