Aussie music industry gets $1.3 million worth of Australian Council grants

Ninety nine musicians, managers and organisations got over $1.3 million in grants from the Australia Council for the Arts. This latest round of grants will help musicians create new work, perform live and tour nationally and internationally through the New Work, Presentation and Promotion, International Pathways and the Contemporary Music Touring Program initiatives.

“We received applications from all over Australia in a diverse range of genres, and the standard was very high,” reports Council’s Sydney-based director of Music, Paul Mason. “The recent increased funding to the Australia Council has allowed us to fund more artists in all of these categories, which is great news for Australian music.”

Among recipients were Ball Park Music and Dead Letter Circus to tour the UK and USA, Adalita and Melbourne Ska Orchestra to undertake national tours, and Skipping Girl Vinegar, Cub Sport and former Saltwater Band member Manuel Dhurrkay to make new albums. Queensland country singer songwriter Graham Rodger will use his grant to tour remote parts of southwest Queensland. Melbourne rock band Rudely Interrupted, which consists of members living with disadvantage and disability, can write and record new material.

Eleven of the 35 applications for International Showcase were successful. Courtney Barnett, Hermitude, Them Swoops, City Riots, Cub Sports and Oh Mercy get to the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. Sound artist Tralala Blip can play the Unsound Festival in Poland.

Of 25 applications for the International Markets – Music Managers grant, nine were successful. Funding increased to $4,000 each, for managers to attend music conferences (CMJ, SXSW, Miami Winter Music Conference) when their artists are not showcasing, to build networks and markets for their roster.

Mason reported, “A number of festivals were also funded, including the inaugural eclectic and experimental music event New Weird Australia, which will be held in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in March 2014 and The West African Festival to be held at Sydney’s Darling Harbour in November.”

The applications were assessed by industry peers, including Deborah Conway (Vic), Holly Throsby (NSW), Lawrence English (Qld), Damien Armstrong (NT), Gabriella Smart (SA) and Johannes Luebbers (WA). More info here.