City Of Sydney announces $1.35m in new funding for live music and nighttime culture

City of Sydney’s Live Music and Performance Action plan has reached a new milestone today with the announcement of a new $1.35 million funding program for live music and performance venues.

Separate to the other existing grants that fund arts projects – Cultural Grants, Matching Grants and Festivals and Events Grants – the program consists of two separate streams with two yearly rounds and includes up to $30,000 matched cash funding for successful applicants.

The live music and performance stream encourages the introduction and/or expansion of the live music and performance sector, while also working to manage sound and acoustics, and improve health and safety for audiences, workers and musicians.

The second stream will contribute to the diversification of Sydney’s embattled night-time economy through the means of live music and performance.

$750,000 will be allocated to the live music performance stream and $600,000 to bolstering the night-time economy over the course of the next three years.

The council has already signed off on the proposal as the City of Sydney works to finalise timelines and applications forms for the grant.

Opening and closing dates for applications are set to be announced “within the next few weeks.”

In addition to the new grant, City of Sydney and MusicNSW are working together on a grants program for all-ages events in the city. It is designed to encourage music industry professionals to consider and explore the viability of all-ages shows through partnerships, collaboration and audience development.

Grants of up to $15,000 will be available,with the next round of funding set to open shortly.

It’s not a moment too soon, as last week’s NSW state budget was blasted by Sydney’s music industryfor neglecting the sector after spending several years directly causing damage to it with the draconian lockout laws.

The Music Network and City of Sydney have partnered on a series of interviews and essays discussing the future of Sydney music and the industry that supports it.