Kirsty Rivers tapped as Head of Music at Australia Council

Kirsty Rivers is the new Head of Music at the Australia Council for the Arts, the federal government’s arts funding and advisory body.

Rivers, who joins from Creative Victoria after a distinguished five-year-stint, takes up this key leadership position with effect from April 20, TIO can confirm.

In her new role, Rivers will collaborate with the music industry to inform the Australia Council’s investment and advocacy, and to “effect positive change” for Australian music, working closely with the likes of veteran arts and culture advocate Jade Lillie and Dr Wendy Were, Executive Director, Strategic Development and Advocacy at Australia Council.

Rivers brings a wealth of experience to the role and a contacts book that could be used as a door-stop.

At Creative Victoria, she served as manager, then senior manager, contemporary music and worked closely on several major projects, including the Australian Music Vault in Melbourne, for which Rivers is an advisory board member. The Vault opened to the public in December 2017.

Rivers’ CV includes nearly 19 years as National Manager, Writer Services with APRA AMCOS, prior to joining the Victorian government’s Music Works programme for Creative Victoria in 2015. Also, Rivers was Vice Chair of The Push for 16 years from 1999.

It’s unclear if Rivers will relocate from Melbourne to the Australia Council’s HQ in Sydney.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.