Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks today announced a $3.9 million boost for music festivals, musicians, and live music venues that will share in the funding, alongside programs for emerging regional musicians, culturally and linguistically diverse artists, event producers and young performers.
The first round of 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund will fund 144 venues across the state to stage paid gigs by local artists – giving venues a leg up and emerging artists the chance to perform live.
Also part of the package, $1 million of Music Works grants will support 92 music projects involving 600 music industry professionals – giving both emerging and established artists the opportunity to take the next step in their careers. Over the past 9 years, the program has invested almost $13 million in more than 800 projects.
Live music venues awarded grants include iconic Melbourne venues such as The Tote, The Jazzlab, Mamma Chen’s and Laundry, with regional venues like Ballarat’s Volta, Barwon Heads Hotel and Theatre Royal in Castlemaine all part of the mix, along with suburban venues like District 14 in Narre Warren.
The Labor Government’s Live Music Festivals Fund will see 22 festivals in Victoria receiving grants of up to $50,000 to help them stage new or existing events.
Festival recipients include fan favourites Port Fairy Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival and Riverboats Festival, alongside the return of Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, and new events including GROUNDED to be held at Dookie Quarry, and Yass Queens Park, a queer-focused festival in Moonee Ponds.
As part of the package, the GRID Series artist development program is back in Geelong for a second year helping local emerging musicians build and establish their careers, while The Push All Ages Grants will support live music venues, booking agents, artists, promoters and community organisations across Victoria to stage eventsfor all ages.
Multicultural Arts Victoria will present its third iteration of its NEWPRINT program, offering professional development opportunities for artists and creative workers from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Victoria's live music industry is one of the state's most vital creative sectors, and this boost will support the jobs of event organisers, artists, venue owners, staff, and crews. This investment ensures that Victoria remains Australia's music heartland, with festivals that not only entertain but also sustain our creative workforce.
The first rounds of the Live Music Festivals Fund and Victorian Gig Fund are being delivered by Music Victoria on behalf of the Labor Government. These latest grants are part of a $35.4 million package delivered in the Victorian Budget 2023/24 to support Victoria’s live music industry at all levels and in all parts of the state.
For a full list of recipients visit creative.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks
“We’re continuing to back our state’s live music industry at all levels, with funding for festivals and venues to stage great events and live performances, support for established artists and industry workers, and to help emerging musicians get their start in the industry.”
“While the live music sector continues to face challenges across the country, this investment will help strengthen our local industry – a vital creative sector for our state.”
Quote attributable to Member for Preston Nathan Lambert
“This vital investment is a testament to the incredible musical talent in Preston, ensuring local artists and venues continue to thrive and share their passion for music with audiences across Victoria.”
Quote attributable to Music Victoria CEO Simone Schinkel
“It’s great to see the Victorian Government continuing to champion local musical talent, showcasing original contemporary music from Victoria in live music venues across the state, alongside international acts at festivals, and supporting Victorian artists as they tour nationally and internationally. It will be hard to be in Victoria and not experience the direct benefits of such an investment.”
Victoria’s live music scene will get a $10 million boost over four years with the launch of two programs that will support music festivals and venues while providing more paid gigs for local musicians.
The Victorian valleys will come alive this Spring to the sound of music coming from intimate venues, rural hotels and regional halls in a show of strength, support, love and commitment to extraordinary communities who have been affected by the floods of October 2022.
Through Music Victoria’s Live Music for Flood Recovery program, supported by Creative Victoria, small towns and villages in regional and rural Victoria will host 30 live music events at local venues for communities to revive and gather in the 12 months of clean up and rebuilding since floods impacted the region.
A program of live music events will be delivered across flood-impacted regions of Victoria including the townships of Tallarook, Pyramid Hill, Boort, Newbridge, Rochester, Bridgewater, Mooroopna, Baringhup, Horsham, Euroa, and the Pyrenees this Spring.
It follows events in Seymour, Shepparton, Kerang and North Wangaratta featuring Vika & Linda, Greg Champion and The Cat Empire, along with local artists.
On Saturday 14 October, the inspiring and resilient community of Rochester are invited to come together for Rochella – a family-friendly festival of live music and local food at the Rochester Recreation Reserve. This special event, organised by community with support from sporting clubs and committees of the region, is an opportunity for locals to reunite and take a moment to share, commemorate and gather to appreciate the spirit of the Rochester community.
In the Loddon Valley, Whole Loddon Love will see the likes of Dan Kelly, Felicity Cripps Band, Queenie and Jess Parker perform over two weekends in October, in local halls and hotels in Boort, Pyramid Hill, Newbridge, Bridgewater, and Baringhup.
Marking the first anniversary of major flooding in Mooroopna, a showcase of Yorta Yorta artists will perform at Ngalnin Murrangurang Ganbina (We Always Rise) in Kaieltheban Park on Sunday 15 October.
Tallarook’s historic Mechanic’s Institute will host a series of events including Deadly in the TMI, featuring Dan Sultan and Madi Colville-Walker, while Pyrenees Hideout presents Connection, with Bill Chambers, Marcus Cassells & The BAHA Collective.
Euroa Music Festival presents FLOW and Pyrenees Hideout presents Connection, two community events filled with excellent music from the creators of these celebrated regional festivals.
Music Victoria CEO Simone Schinkel said: We’re so excited to see an incredible array of community led events taking place all over the state. These events will provide a place for people to gather, reconnect and enjoy live music, which is such an important part of the recovery process for these communities.’
The Live Music for Flood Recovery Program is supported by Music Victoria and by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. The program has supported many events throughout 2023, from small gigs in pubs featuring local musicians, to large-scale festivals and community events, with passionate artists supporting communities and sharing music to provide a space for impacted communities to revive, recover and gather together after a tumultuous year.
“This new program of gigs and festivals will continue to bring people together to celebrate their community and provide a boost to local businesses.”
“Victoria’s flood-impacted communities have shown incredible resilience over the last year, and we have already seen in places like Seymour and Shepparton how live music events can uplift, connect and support communities as they recover.”
Today the Victorian government handed down the 23/24FY state budget and Music Victoria is extremely pleased to see the Labor governments' continued support of the music industry, especially in what Treasurer Tim Pallas has called a "challenging budget".
"In terms of industry development, we are delighted that they have listened to calls for the continued delivery of Victorian Music Development Office and Music Market, which provides essential thought leadership for the sector, insights for our music businesses and unpacks the latest technology, new markets, and assists the industry in understanding the most complex evolutions in the music space, ensuring that Victoria's music community remains at the cutting edge globally.It makes us proud to work here, and certainly makes a life of music, easier in Victoria." - Simone Schinkel, CEO Music Victoria
Music Victoria, supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, is set to deliver a series of live music events across flood impacted regions to reunite communities and support live music venues in flood impacted areas.
Live Music for Flood Recovery events kicked off in Shepparton in December 2022, before a call-out to live music venues, artists, presenters and community members in flood impacted regions to propose events for their area.
So far the program has supported events from Mystic Park (Wemba Wemba Country), Kerang (Wemba Wemba Country) and North Wangaratta (Taungurung Country) featuring local artists including Imparja Petit, Elias Lanyon, The Remnantz, Jazy Jade and more.
Over the coming months, events in Echuca (Yorta Yorta Country), Wedderburn, Boort and Cohuna (Dja Dja Wurrung Country) and Kerang (Wamba Wamba Country) will see local artists Amelia May, The Strangers Duo, Kitty Rae, The Colour Court, Greg Champion and more take to their respective stages to bring music to flood impacted communities.
More events to be announced in Euroa, Mooroopna, Rochester, Seymour, Tallarook, the Loddon Valley and Murray regions and other locations will be announced soon.
Sunday 12 March, Mystic Park (Wemba Wemba Country)
Saturday 6 April, Kerang (Wemba Wemba Country)
Sunday 16 April, North Wangaratta (Taungurung Country)
Saturday 6 May, Echuca (Yorta Yorta Country)
Friday 12 May, Wedderburn (Dja Dja Wurrung Country)
Saturday 13 May, Boort (Dja Dja Wurrung Country)
Sunday 14 May, Cohuna (Dja Dja Wurrung Country)
Saturday 4 June, Kerang (Wemba Wemba Country)
Let’s be real… COVID sucks. But we wanted to give you the chance to reach out and ask us questions. Can you rehearse? When can you tour? Do you need to get vaccinated? When is our freedom day?
Watch the video of our Where To From Here Information Session below where we answer all your questions around the roadmap.
The session covers eligibility, the process and how mediation can work for tenants and landlords.
The Scheme was introduced by the Victorian Government to ease the pressure on Victoria’s small and medium-sized businesses (with an annual turnover of less than $50 million) that have experienced a fall in turnover of more than 30 per cent during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Eligible business owners can obtain relief in the form of a proportionate reduction in rent. For example, a business with a turnover of 40 per cent of pre-pandemic levels can only be charged 40 per cent of its rent. Of the balance, at least half must be waived, with the remainder deferred.
Under the Scheme, the Victorian Small Business Commission (VSBC) is supporting tenants and landlords by providing information to assist with negotiating a rent relief agreement and access to free and impartial mediation if a fair agreement can’t be reached.
Tenants can also apply to the VSBC for a binding order for rent relief if their landlord fails to respond or sufficiently respond to the VSBC or doesn’t engage in mediation in good faith.
The Scheme applies retrospectively from 28 July 2021 and will run until 15 January 2022.