Two new names for MusicACT board

Music producer and engineer Dax Liniere and events facilitator Luke Wensing have come on board the board of Canberra-based ACT peak music association MusicACT.

They join musician Gavin Findlay (President), events manager and venue promoter Dave Caffery (Vice President), band manager and InConcept director Daria Teodorowych (Treasurer), musician and journalist Emily Allen (Secretary), band manager Anna Wallace and business development manager Angus Souter.

At the association’s AGM, Gavin Findlay reported that the last 12 months had been “exciting but challenging”. There were two successful projects, the 2013 MusicACT Annual Music Awards and the PlayitLoud Youth Battle of the Bands for the Centenary of Canberra.

But with several core committee members moving on, and financial support not secured, the next ACT Music Awards has been postponed to the second half of 2015. A full announcement about the awards will be made soon.

Findlay said, “The decision to postpone the awards has however allowed MusicACT more time to focus on our other key objective: advocacy and policy development for the music sector. We have been working closely with John Wardle from the national Live Music Office and have held two issues forums to identify the most pressing problems and impediments to the growth of the music industry in Canberra.

“We have developed strong relationships with relevant ACT Government Ministers and agencies and they are listening to us. It is abundantly clear that the current legislative and regulatory framework actively works against creating new cultural events and venues for music in Canberra, and we have made a compelling case for a whole of government response. A meeting with Attorney-General Minister for the Environment Simon Corbell MLA has already been scheduled for the new year.”