Tamizdat at APAP | NYC 2024: Legislative Briefing
2024-01-14 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Avenue of the Americas at 54th St., New York, NY, 10019, United States
Tamizdat at APAP | NYC 2024

Legislative Briefing: Sunday January 14th 4:00-5:00 PM
Trianon Ballroom, 3rd Floor

Description forthcoming

Tamizdat at APAP | NYC 2024: Visa Mobility Panel
2024-01-15 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Avenue of the Americas at 54th St., New York, NY, 10019, United States
Tamizdat at APAP | NYC 2024
Visa Mobility Panel: Monday January 15th 12:30-1:30

Presenting international artists in the U.S. is complex and costly, and the legal barriers caused visa laws and procedures is a perennial barrier that can feel almost insurmountable for artists, agents, managers, and presenters. This panel brings together professionals with expertise and lived experience, to discuss strategies for facing the challenges of keeping the U.S. open to international culture.

The Visa Mobility Panel features:
Paula Abreu, Director of Special Programming, McCarter Theatre Center

Matthew Covey, Executive Director, Tamizdat (moderator)

Juli Ronderos, Artist, Salt Cathedral

Mahmood Shaikh, Agent, Concerted Efforts

Tamizdat at SXSW - U.S. Artist Visas: Lived Experience & Expert Strategies
2024-03-14 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Austin Convention Ceter, Austin, Texas
U.S. musicians’ visas are notoriously hard and expensive to get. This panel will bring together the combined wisdom and experience of booker Paula Abreu (McCarter Theatre Center), immigration attorney Will Spitz (CoveyLaw), singer-songwriter Sui Zhen, and moderated by a leading expert in international artist mobility Matthew Covey (Tamizdat), and will present a session rich in lived experience, practical strategy, and on-the-ground legal advice.
Join us at SXSW, Austin Convention Center, Room 15, at 10-11AM CT!

Tamizdat at On The Move's Annual Cultural Mobility Forum 2024
2024-04-25 - 2024-04-26 | Caernarfon, Wales, United Kingdom
Tamizdat is excited to join our partner organization On The Move’s third annual Cultural Mobility Forum 2024 in Caernarfon, Wales and live streamed by HowlRound.
As part of its multiannual programme co-funded by the European Union, each year On the Move proposes a Cultural Mobility Forum to collectively investigate international artistic and cultural mobility trends. As a unique knowledge platform, the network works together with its members and partners to design thematic panel discussions and contextualize global mobility issues addressed in On the Move’s annual Cultural Mobility Yearbook.

Tamizdat prepares for Autumn 2024 Engagements
2024-06-24 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Île-de-France
Tamizdat is finalizing details for autumn conferences including Reeperbahn, Ireland Music Week, Amsterdam Dance Event, and WOMEX. Stay tuned for more information and dates, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Workshop in Berlin: Export Ready USA with James Minor (SXSW) and Matthew Covey Tamizdat
2024-09-06 15:00 - 17:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Meeet (Room Work/Think), Chausseestraße 86, Berlin, 10115, Germany
Tamizdat’s Matthew Covey and SXSW’s James Minor present on the visa process in the USA, breaking into the US market, and what makes a successful SXSW band application. Join in-person in Berlin-Mitte or on Zoom by registering here!

Tamizdat Panel at Amsterdam Dance Event: Barriers of Entry to African Artists Touring Internationally
2024-09-06 15:15 - 16:15 UTC | Amsterdam Dance Event
Tamizdat is honored to organize the panel “Barriers of Entry to African Artists Touring Internationally” at Amsterdam Dance Event this October 16th, 2024. Find out more about the conference and get your tickets here!

Tamizdat at Ireland Music Week: Touring the US and Visa Applications
2024-10-06 08:00 - 15:00 (Europe/Dublin) | Île-de-France
Tamizdat’s Matthew Covey presents “Touring the US and Visa Applications” at Ireland Music Week 2024. Learn more about the conference and get your tickets here!

Tamizdat's Central, North, and South American Networking Session at WOMEX 2024
2024-10-23 - 2024-10-27 | Île-de-France
Tamizdat is happy to take part in the Central, North, and South American Networking Session The Eagle Meets the Condor: Multifaceted perspectives across the continents at WOMEX 2024 in Manchester. Exact time and date TBA. Learn more about WOMEX 2024 here!

Tamizdat at Mundial Montréal
2024-11-19 14:45 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Île-de-France
Tamizdat is excited to take part in the Mundial Mentor Café at Mundial Montréal this November. Learn more about Mundial and get your tickets here!

Tamizdat at Wavelengths Conference: Infrastructure and Investment: We’re Stronger Together
2025-01-10 09:30 - 11:00 UTC | New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Avenue of the Americas at 54th St., New York, NY, 10019, United States
A check in on the holistic health and sustainability of the performing arts ecosystem with agents, artists, press, legal, funders to understand its moving parts to strengthen them. It looks like tough times ahead but arts workers are always on the frontline of the battle making change, resisting oppression, creating bridges, building partnerships and strengthening community. How can we be mutually supportive to foster, develop resilience, and grow our unique ecosystem? Given the state of turmoil in the world, what will our biggest challenge be and how will we confront them? How can we come together as a community to support artists/arts community efforts, whether it’s big PACs, major funders or independent artists, agents, media and venues. Come away with fresh perspectives and new ideas about who we are and how we need each other at this critical time.
This event takes place at Concourse A in the Hilton Hotel Midtown, New York City.

Tamizdat at APAP: Advocating Post Election: What You Need to Know Now
2025-01-11 09:00 - 10:30 UTC | New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Avenue of the Americas at 54th St., New York, NY, 10019, United States
With a complex range of national, state, and local shifts and issues impacting support and conditions for the arts, arts professionals need up-to-date advice on advocating effectively in the current and coming climate. Cultivating relationships, planning and securing engagements, accessing resources and funding, and navigating legislative issues impacting our business will require a new and urgent playbook. Come to this session for the most current and future-orientated information on a) the landscape and tone of the policy context b) the complex range of key arts issues to be considered and c) strategies for taking action at the state, regional and national level.
This event takes place at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel Midtown.

Tamizdat at APAP: Strategies for Navigating the Current Visa Process
2025-01-12 12:30 - 13:30 UTC | New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Avenue of the Americas at 54th St., New York, NY, 10019, United States
A Panel Featuring:

Grace Blake (Programming Director, City Winery NYC)
Matthew Covey (Executive Director, Tamizdat & Partner, CoveyLaw)
Meiyin Wang (Director of Programming and Producing, NYPAC)

Presenting international artists in the U.S. is complex and costly, and given the substantial changes in the last year with new and more complex fees and new protocols for navigating the process, the challenges can feel almost insurmountable for artists, agents, managers, and presenters. This panel brings together professionals with expertise and lived experience, to discuss strategies for facing the challenges of keeping the U.S. open to international culture and how to best manage the variables of the process as it currently stands.

Tamizdat at Folk Alliance: Town Hall Meeting on P2 Visas • Working Towards Parity at the Canada/US Border
2025-02-21 10:30 - 23:30 UTC | Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel, 1201 René-Lévesque Blvd W, Montréal, Quebec, H3B 2L7, Canada
A Conversation with Cathy Fink, Joy Bennet, Jennifer Roe, and Matthew Covey
Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel, 1201 René-Lévesque Blvd W, Montréal, Quebec H3B 2L7, Canada.
Salon ABC – Level B
Canada and the US share a 8800 km-long border, and they also share a vibrant folk and roots music scene that isn’t restricted by legal boundaries. But while US musicians can easily cross the border to work and perform in Canada, Canadian musicians who want to perform in the US face a visa process that is time-consuming, expensive, and capricious. Delays in visa processing can lead to cancelled gigs and tours, which is bad for musicians, presenters, agents, and audiences. Local 1000 of the AFM has spearheaded this Town Hall to update artists, agents, presenters and audience members on the current status of the process and of efforts towards changing the process. We will discuss where things stand right now, where we’d like them to end up (total parity for US and Canadian musicians) and how you can become active in the campaign to make change. US musicians are the ones that can and must exert the most pressure on institutions for change. It’s critical that they attend this to begin plotting a course forward. It is a simple and essential act of solidarity. There will be time available after the meeting to discuss with Local 1000 and other panelists in the same room.

Tamizdat at Folk Alliance: US/Canada Tour Costs • A Pre-Contract Guide for International Acts
2025-02-22 13:00 - 14:00 UTC | Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel, 1201 René-Lévesque Blvd W, Montréal, Quebec, H3B 2L7, Canada
At Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel, Jarry – Level A
A Conversation with Cecile Glunt (CWA Management), Danielle Devlin (Canis Major Music), Abyan Gurase (Covey Law).
Before signing on the dotted line, what is required for visas and tax in Canada and the United States? Before you confirm your tour, be sure you know the costs associated with visas, taxes, & waivers. This session will assist in creating your contract checklist.

Tamizdat at SXSW: Breaking Barriers • Advocating for fairer US Artist Visa Processes
2025-03-11 12:30 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Speakeasy, 412 Congress Ave., Austin, TX, 78701, United States
Tamizdat is proud to participate in the panel Breaking Barriers: Advocating for fairer US Artist Visa Processes at GERMAN HAUS on the Terrace of Speakeasy, 412 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
This Panel is Presented by: German Music Export by Initiative Musik & EMEE
Artists searching for a development in their international careers face growing difficulties performing abroad, especially concerning increasing obstacles to obtain performing visas to play in USA or UK. Which are the actual initiatives to tackle this issue, and what is yet missing?
Moderation:
Tilmann Köllner, Journalist
Panelists:
Angela Dorgan, Managing Director, Music Contact Ireland / Ireland Music Week, EMEE Board Member
Dave Webster, Head of International, Musicians’ Union
Neus López, Head of Export, German Music Export by Initiative Musik, EMEE Board Vice President
Matt Covey, Tamizdat, USA
Petr Blazek, Management/Booking badfocus + Aiko, Vice-resident of IMMF
Laura Lee, Artist (Laura Lee and the Jettes)

Tamizdat at SHARPE Festival & Conference, Slovakia
2025-04-25 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Nová Cvernovka, Račianska 78, Bratislava, 831 02, Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
Tamizdat is proud to be hosting the panel Songs of Resistance: Music’s Political Power at SHARPE Festival & Conference, Bratislava.
For more information, see the SHARPE Festival & Conference website.
Panel: Songs of Resistance: Music’s Political Power
Host: Matthew Covey (Tamizdat, USA)
Speakers: Ana Marjanidze (3:AM / TRANSFORMA, GE), Nasra A. Omar (Artist / Arts Council Norway, NO), Michal Kaščák (Pohoda Festival, SK)
In many countries around the world, the music sector is engaged with political activism and resistance. Both as a catalyst for grass roots activism, and also as a laboratory for progressive social change, musicians, music workers, and music have unique power that can be harnessed for activism. The current geopolitical climate has made this work seem particularly urgent, but it comes with risks and liabilities. In this panel, the panelists will talk about the value of leveraging music toward progressive social and political change, as well as the responsibilities, dangers, and limitations that come with this work.

Tamizdat at the 2025 Cultural Mobility Forum in Riga, Latvia
2025-04-29 - 2025-04-30 | Île-de-France
Tamizdat will be present at this year’s Cultural Mobility Forum, an initiative of On The Move. On the Move’s Cultural Mobility Forum collectively investigates international artistic and cultural mobility trends. As a unique knowledge platform, the network works together with its members and partners to design thematic panel discussions and contextualise global mobility issues.
Find the program and read more about the Cultural Mobility Forum 2025 here!

Tamizdat & APAP Webinar: Artist Visa Update and Briefing
2025-05-12 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Online
As international performers encounter evolving requirements at the U.S. border, artists from abroad are navigating new complexities and uncertainty when touring and working in the United States.
Join us for an informative and timely webinar, presented in collaboration with APAP, Tamizdat & CoveyLaw, featuring three leading immigration attorneys—Lee Clark, Matthew Covey, and Will Spitz—as they unpack the latest developments in artist visa processing and procedures.
Whether you’re an artist, agent, presenter, or org working with global talent, this session offers real answers and up-to-date guidance to help you navigate the current visa landscape.
Monday, May 12
1:00–2:00 PM EDT
RSVP to the webinar here

Fear & Reality: Immigration Enforcement and Live Music in New York City
2025-06-03 13:40 - 13:45 UTC | NYU Skirball, 566 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Tamizdat’s Matthew Covey is delivering a short presentation, Fear & Reality: Immigration Enforcement and Live Music in New York City, at the 2025 New York Music Month Conference at the NYU Skirball Center in New York. If you are at the NYMM, make sure to check it out.

Tamizdat at the UNESCO Civil Society Forum
2025-06-17 10:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris) | UNESCO Headquarters, 7 Place Fontenoy, Paris, Île-de-France, 75007, France
Tamizdat is proud to announce that we have been granted observer status to attend as a participant to the Fifth edition of UNESCO’s Civil Society Forum. The Civil Society Forum takes place in the context of the 10th session of UNESCO’s Conference of Parties to the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions to be held in Paris from the 17th – 20th of June, 2025. This convening will take place in-person at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
The Civil Society Forum is a biennial event, held prior to each session of the Conference of Parties, which provides an interactive framework of exchange and dialogue among civil society actors in the areas covered by the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
The 5th edition of the Civil Society Forum will be held on 17 June 2025 in hybrid format, online and in presential at UNESCO Headquarters. The participants of the Forum are civil society organization representatives who have requested to participate in the meetings of the governing bodies of the 2005 Convention.

Live Arts Lab: Market access in a fairer music sector
2025-06-27 13:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Warsaw) | Polish History Museum, Mokotowska 33/35, Warszawa, 00-560, Poland
Tamizdat’s Matthew Covey is proud to be working together with Marie Fol on a series of gatherings called the Live Arts Lab. At Music Week Poland in 2025, this invite-only, closed-door mini-summit will bring together policy makers and industry leaders to explore ways that law, policy, industry best practices, and consumer initiative can create fairer access to markets across the global music ecosystem. The Fair Culture Charter will be our starting place in this intensive, collaborative, interdisciplinary workshop. It will encourage new connections, candid communication, cooperation, allyship, and actionable results. The Fair Culture Charter is the initiative of a consortium facilitated by the German Commission for UNESCO.
Speakers:
Marie Fol, Live Arts Lab
Matthew Covey, CoveyLaw / Tamizdat
Lutz Möller, Fair Culture (German Commission for UNESCO)
Anupama Sekhar, independent expert
At the Polish History Museum, Warsaw, Conference Room 1 at 1:00PM.

Tamizdat at Music Week Poland: Entering the US Market: Showcases, Visas, and How to Know When to Go
2025-06-28 10:00 - 11:00 UTC | Polish History Museum, Mokotowska 33/35, Warszawa, 00-560, Poland
Tamizdat’s Matthew Covey is proud to be moderating a panel for Music Week Poland, at the Polish History Museum in Warsaw, Conference Room 2, 10:00 AM on the 28th of June, 2025.
The US remains a priority market for many musicians, but it’s hard to know when it’s the right time in a musician’s career to make the move. The legal, strategic, logistical, and financial barriers make it difficult to build an audience in the US. In this session a major US showcase booker, an immigration attorney, and an artist will share lived experiences and talk about the best ways to make your mark on the US.
Speakers:
Matthew Covey, CoveyLaw / Tamizdat
Dev Sherlock, SXSW
Izabela Rekowska, Izzy and the Black Trees

Tamizdat at Music Week Poland: Contracts & Equity: Using contracts to make a fairer music sector
2025-06-28 14:30 - 15:30 (Europe/Warsaw) | Polish History Museum, Mokotowska 33/35, Warszawa, 00-560, Poland
Tamizdat’s Executive Director will be moderating a panel on Contracting & Equity at Music Week Poland this week, June 27th, at 14:30 at the Polish History Museum, Conference Room 2.
Contracts & Equity: Using contracts to make a fairer music sector
Across the music and performing arts industries, there is a growing call for equity, fairness, and accountability. While many organizations express a genuine commitment to these values, legal and licensing frameworks often fail to keep pace. How can we ensure that the structures shaping our work – from contracts to collective rights management – truly reflect these aspirations?In this session, three leading entertainment attorneys will discuss how the legal landscape is evolving to meet the demands of a fairer creative economy. Drawing on real-world examples from recent years, they will explore how contracts can move beyond risk management tools to become proactive instruments for justice, transparency, and better working conditions.At the same time, the conversation will address the critical role of Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) in enabling a more equitable industry. From royalty distribution models to inclusive licensing frameworks, CMOs are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between creators’ rights and systemic change. How can legal innovation and collective licensing work hand-in-hand to ensure fair remuneration and representation for all rights holders?
Speakers:
Matthew Covey, CoveyLaw / Tamizdat
Abi Lufadeju, AJL Legal
Karol Kościński, ZAiKS

Planning for safety and compliance: Live venues and new immigration realities
2025-08-11 16:30 - 17:45 UTC | Zoom
As federal immigration policy priorities continue to evolve, live performance venues across the country face a number of new challenges. Knowing the law and having a plan are critical for keeping our institutions, staff, contracted artists, and audiences safe and in compliance with the law.
This webinar will also include an update regarding artist visas and the impact of the recently passed federal budget. Organized by Tamizdat in cooperation with Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) and National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), this timely webinar brings together legal experts with senior operations staff from venues large and small, indoor and outdoor, private and public. A written best practices guide will be made available following the session.
All are welcome to this critical information session on Monday, August 11 from 4:30-5:45 p.m. Register now.
Moderator:
Matthew Covey, Esq. (Tamizdat / CoveyLaw)
Panelists:
Bruce Buchanan, Esq., Littler Mendelson P.C., Nashville
Julie Groob, COO at NY City Center, New York
Sarah Rosen, Sr. Dir of HR at the Public Theater, New York
Rex Chen, Esq., Supervising immigration lawyer at LatinoJustice, New York

touring artists info session: USA - Visa for Artists
2025-09-16 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Harzer Straße 119, 12435 Berlin, Harzer Straße 119, Berlin, Berlin, 12435
Sign up to attend the session here
The US remains a touring destination for many international artists, despite many artists’ going concerns about the expense and risks associated with the US artist visa process. Attorney Will Spitz of CoveyLaw and Tamizdat will give a reality-check for artists considering going to the US to tour or showcase: what is going on in the US, what are the risks, what are the costs, and is it still worth touring there?

Tamizdat at Music Week Ireland: Touring the US & Visa Applications
2025-10-03 12:30 - 13:30 (Europe/Dublin) | Music Week Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Please join Tamizdat at Music Week Ireland on Friday October 3rd at 12.30 in Dublin. For more information, please navigate to the conference website and programme.
Before you leave for the U.S., you’ll need to get your visas in order. We chat to venue bookers, agents and more as they share their tips and insights about your first trip to the United States.
Speakers – Matt Covey (Covey Law), Kyle Wilkerson (Sid The Cat), Mahmood Shaikh (Concerted Efforts), Sam Sumpter (Bands Do BK)
Moderator – Lisa Hresko (A2IM)

Tamizdat at MONDO: Visas, Borders & Burners - What Artists Need to Know About Travel to the US
2025-10-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Arlo Williamsburg Hotel, 96 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11249, United States
Join Will Spitz (Attorney, CoveyLaw/Tamizdat) and Jess McAvoy (Performance Artist & Songwriter) next week as they discuss the complexities of US artist visas.
Visas, Borders & Burners: What Artists Need to Know About Travel to the US
Mirror Bar at Arlo Williamsburg Hotel
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 12:00 PM
From rising costs to changing immigration rules and enforcement, this panel will provide practical strategies for international artists to navigate the process as smoothly and affordably as possible — and avoid common pitfalls along the way.
Find more info and register here.

Tamizdat & CoveyLaw Office Hours
2025-10-15 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Online
CoveyLaw and Tamizdat are teaming up to provide a monthly webinar providing updates and chances to ask questions about current US visa issues.
Kicking off this series is “US Artist Visas: Delays, Denials, and Disruption – Is it getting harder to get a visa to tour in the US?” on October 15, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
During this session, Tamizdat director Matthew Covey and CoveyLaw associate Abyan Gurase who will dig into the issues that are troubling international touring artists these days, as well as take questions from attendees.
Click here to register.

Tamizdat & CoveyLaw at Amsterdam Dance Event
2025-10-22 - 2025-10-25 | Île-de-France
CoveyLaw & Tamizdat representatives Will Spitz, Harlan Levine, and Kimya Zahedi will be in attendance at Amsterdam Dance event from October 22 – 25th.
