Federal and state arts funding puts more acts on the road

Music and arts funding from the Commonwealth and WA governments will see more Australian acts on the road.

Through the Australia Council’s Playing Australia: Regional Performing Arts Touring Fund and Contemporary Music Touring Program, the Morrison Government will spend more than $3.6 million across 30 projects. These span contemporary music, theatre, and dance in 268 locations, with a focus on regional and remote communities.

“Live performance and touring are vital to the ongoing sustainability and vibrancy of Australian arts,” Arts Minister Paul Fletcher said.

“The projects supported in this latest funding round will provide new opportunities for contemporary musicians and performers to resume performing and touring as we emerge from COVID-19, and will allow them to engage with audiences across Australia.”

The biggest grants for music recipients were the Australian Art Orchestra ($123,539), Woodford Folk Festival promoter Woodfordia Inc. ($69,310), Troy Cassar-Daley ($50,000), HIT Productions ($50,000), Rhyan R Clapham ($49,872) and Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation ($40,000).

Others included Tia Gostelow ($25,000), The Song Company ($25,000), Bedroom Suck Records ($25,000), Andrew Swift ($24,980), Ensemble Offspring ($24,840), Craig Johnston ($22,025), jonathan J zwartz ($15,167), Danika Smith ($8,400), Pallé Mazzulla ($12,866), Freya F Schack-Arnott ($8, 802) and Angela Ostendorf ($5,109).

To further support the sector in regional and remote Australia, the Federal Government also announced almost $400,000 to support six national strategic projects under the Regional Arts Fund.

The projects will be delivered by Regional Arts Australia in 2021 and include a fellowship program, and sector wellbeing and online studio programs supporting the regional arts network. The Regional Arts Fund received an extra $10 million last year due to COVID-19, on top of standard funding of about $3.5 million.

The WA Government announced that seven organisations are to receive $625,177 to tour performing arts productions to regional venues under the Playing WA grants program.

Among the beneficiaries are Yirra Yaakin Aboriginal Corporation, which will receive $111,150 to deliver Ice Land – A Hip h’Opera Regional Tour, a series of week-long community theatre and music residencies. The performance will feature music group Downsyde, who use hip hop to tackle the issue of methamphetamine use.

Other funded projects include CircuitWest’s A Night of Persian Jazz ($54,430), which will see a seven-piece jazz ensemble tour regional areas for performances, professional development with local musicians and school workshops. Tony Galati the Musical ($119,640) is a musical comedy based on the WA businessman, also organised by CircuitWest.

Additionally, Harvey and Bunbury’s Bystander ($39,611) is a verbatim performance with original live music and an accompanying photographic exhibition.