City of Sydney pushes over $200,000 in grants into music nightlife

The City of Sydney has committed to providing more than $225,000 in grant funding to music venues and small business in an attempt to reinvigorate the city’s nightlife.

A number of venues are set to benefit from the funding, with projects including:

• Metro Theatre, City Center – A new, soundproofed performance space with capacity for 350 people to operate in tandem with the existing theatre.
• Eau de Vie, Darlinghurst – Venue upgrades and new equipment for a new program of live music and performances by local artists at in Darlinghurst.
• Staves Brewery, Gelbe – Upgrades to staging, lighting and in-house musical instruments at in Glebe and a new ‘after midnight’ music performance program.
• MoshPit, Erskineville – New staging, audio and lighting equipment to improve the performance space and boost capacity.
• Moya’s Juniper Lounge, Redfern – New equipment to improve the sound quality for weekly free jazz and jam sessions.
• Griffin Theatre Company, Darlinghurst and Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks – Audio and lighting equipment upgrades to improve the experience of artists and audiences.
• Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst – Audio and lighting upgrades at and a bigger monthly series of ‘after midnight’ music events following mainstage performances.
• Cheers Bar, City Centre – A regular program of family-friendly comedy and performance nights.
• Venue 505, Surry Hills – A new program of jazz, roots, funk and world music performances on Sundays.
• Foundry 616, Ultimo – A late-night program of jazz performances and dining options on Fridays.
• Boogie Mountain, Potts Point – A live music program at the new venue at the Potts Point Hotel.
• Shakespeare Hotel, Surry Hills – A weekly session of paid performances by local buskers.
• Di Bartoli Specialty Coffee, Rosebery – A program of night-time coffee appreciation activities.

The city is also investing $70,000 over two years into the Electronic Music Conference, $26,000 to create a new website for Sydney Venue Toolkit and $18,000 for the Contemporary Music Roundtable.

Sam Nardo, chief operating officer, Century Venues, which runs the Metro Theatre, said the grants allow them to bring their long-awaited ideas to fruition.

“We have been wanting to create a second space at The Metro Theatre for some time. Now, thanks to the City Of Sydney we will be able to dive in head first and create what we know is a sorely needed space in the Sydney music and entertainment scene,” Nardo said.

“This is such a welcome contribution and is a real tipping point in getting this project off the ground – we can’t wait to get started.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore commented that she hopes the funding kicks some life into Sydney’s nights.

“Sydneysiders want a diverse and exciting nightlife with events and activities for people of all ages and interests – they don’t want their city to shut down as soon as the sun goes down,” Moore said.

“Our grants program is one way that we are able to directly support small businesses and live music venues who want to put on more music and arts programming for our residents and visitors.

“This gives venues and businesses a boost so they can do much-needed equipment upgrades or make a commitment to regular programming – which is a better outcome for artists and audiences alike.”