Select Music partners with PLUS1, the Arcade Fire-inspired non-profit for social change

Select Music scored a PLUS1.

The Sydney-based independent booking agency is partnering with PLUS1, a social impact platform that redirects $1 from show tickets to good causes.

The brainchild of Arcade Fire’s Marika Anthony-Shaw, PLUS1’s strapline is “Compassion in Contagious.” If the idea is contagious, artists are the carriers. The likes of Montaigne, The Beths, Pist Idiots, Stella Donnelly, Skegss and Ruby Fields are on board. And over time, they’ll spread the word with their collaborators and fans.

“We rolled out some test runs with a few of my acts to figure out our internal processes,” recounts Casey O’Shaughnessy, senior booking agent at Select Music, “and every band who has taken part so far have been so excited, supportive and considered with the charities they have chosen to partner with.”

Select Music has been quietly working with PLUS1 over the past year. The partnership has already raised more than $50,000 via tours by Skegss, Ruby Fields, Pist Idiots, Polish Club, The Beths, Japanese Wallpaper, Montaigne, Stella Donnelly and others.

Connecting artists and fans with agents of social change was a no-brainer. “After some particularly inspirational Bigsound panels a couple of years ago I was empowered to look at what I could do as a booking agent to deliver ways for my artists to support causes close to their hearts,” O’Shaughnessy tells TIO.

Not long after, O’Shaughnessy and her team noticed Scottish electro-pop outfit Chvrches had joined forces with PLUS1 on their Australian tour and discussions kicked off “not long after that.”

Montaigne

The funds have benefited such charities as Bush Heritage Australia, Adam Goodes’ Go Foundation, Minus18, Aboriginal Legal Services, Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation, Girls Rock and more.

“It’s been incredibly exciting to partner alongside Select Music to continue growing the PLUS1 movement in Australia,” comments Marika Anthony-Shaw, founder & CEO of Plus1 in a statement.

This partnership “represents the potential of our industry as leaders in philanthropy—integrating night after night the support of organisations on the frontlines fighting for social and environmental justice,” she continues. “I look forward to the incredible impact we’ll be able to have together.”

Together, the likes of Arcade Fire, The National, St. Vincent, CHVRCHES, Flume and more have raised well in excess of $5 million since the project was launched in 2014, funds from which support social justice organisations tackling issues from poverty and injustice to the environment.

“We feel very humbled to be the first agency in Australia to partner with the PLUS1 team,” adds Stephen Wade, CEO of Select Music, winner of booking agent of the year at the inaugural The Industry Observer Awards. “In our current economic environment, the importance of donations reaching their intended charity is more important than ever, and knowing our artists can trust the processes PLUS1 have in place is not only extremely important but also comforting.”

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