News May 24, 2023

MusicNSW Announces ‘Game-Changing’ Regional Team

Image: Georgia Jane Griffiths

MusicNSW has announced the appointment of several new team members to lead regional music development across the state.

Following an extensive search that started late last year, five music professionals now join the MusicNSW team, tasked with delivering development opportunities and working to expand touring circuits across regional NSW.

The newly-created positions have been made possible thanks to Create NSW following a landmark four-year funding commitment.

The five new team members – Dave Burgener, Ali Buckley, Kayne Mills, Sam Rees and Sophie Jones – will lead MusicNSW’s regional development work over the next four years.

They will build capacity and relationships between local industry and artists, and will provide on-the-ground support for regional musicians, venues and live music professionals to grow regional touring.

Emily Collins, MusicNSW Managing Director, is excited about the expansion. “Employing people on the ground makes such a huge difference to us as an organisation – it means we can tailor our support for community needs, and have real conversations about challenges and opportunities,” she says. “Four-year funding is so important for projects like this – it provides us with stability, the opportunity to plan more than 12 months ahead, and to take a long-term strategic approach to music development.”

John Graham, NSW Minister for Arts, Night Time Economy and Music, is also thrilled: “MusicNSW has been leading nationally on regional music development, and the NSW Government is proud to fund these new roles. MusicNSW’s newly appointed regional team will help artists hit the road, build regional music networks and expand NSW’s profile as an ideal destination for regional touring.”

The regional team are also inviting all NSW regional music industry professionals to join them for a virtual interactive session next Wednesday, in which they will talk about live music across the regions and make connections to bring the industry closer together.

The virtual interaction session is open to artists, venues, agents, media and more, and will feature all five new team members and Managing Director Emily Collins. The event is supported by MusicNSW core funding partners Create NSW and APRA AMCOS.