VIC

Live Music Strategies- VIC

Industry development initiatives and live music strategic planning continue to make headway building on the great work of recent years undertaken by the highly capable live music sector in Victoria

Following the 2014 state election the Victorian Government introduced the $22.2m Music Works program, promoted as the largest and most comprehensive investment by an Australian Government in contemporary music.

Well prepared Live Music plans are also in place at the local government level:

• The City of Melbourne
• City of Yarra
• Mornington Shire
• City of Ballarat
• City of Greater Geelong

In the regulation space, the site specific Agent-of-Change planning controls send a strong message about the importance of live music as urban consolidation puts pressure on existing inner city Melbourne venues, and the Victorian Live Music Regulation Roundtable is planned to meet quarterly in 2018,

Substantial industry development programs funded by the Music Works package include:

• Music Works – Major Funding Rounds – The Music Works Grants program invests in the development and support of Victoria’s contemporary music artists and music industries. It provides support for projects and programs that will develop and bring dynamism to Victoria’s contemporary music sector, increase employment and build cultural capital.
• Good Music Neighbours – Provides matched funding to venues across the state for sound attenuation. These grants help venues be proactive about sound management and offer up to $25,000 per venue in matched funding. There are two major funding rounds per year, offering funding from $2,500 up to $75,000.
• Program to Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Live Music Venues – The program is the result of a taskforce and working group that includes members of LISTEN, SLAM(Save Live Australian Music), Music Victoria, Live Music Office and Victorian Police that was convened in mid-2015 to develop strategies to make venues safe spaces.
• Victorian Music Crawl – Managed by Music Victoria, three tours took place across 2017-18, including a tour to the Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland in the second half of 2017 and a tour to Geelong, the Surf Coast and Warrnambool.
• Rockin’ the Laneways – With grants of up to $25,000 available, Rockin’ the Laneways is designed to enliven public places; attract tourism and community activity, and ingrain our proud music heritage into the fabric of our cities, suburbs and regions. Grants are available to Victorian-based individuals, businesses and local councils, and require at least 25 % in co-funding.
• The Multicultural Festivals and Events (MFE) program encourages participation of the whole Victorian community in festivals and events to celebrate and embrace our vibrant multicultural diversity. This initiative is administered by the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s Multicultural Affairs and Social Cohesion (MASC) Division.
• The Lighthouse Award – Established in memory of Linda Gebar, The Lighthouse Award returns in 2017 with a $5000 grant on offer from APRA AMCOS. The award is intended to support the professional development of a female manager or self-managed artist based in Victoria,
• Connect and Create – A partnership between the State Government and national music rights organisation APRA AMCOS, Connect and Create is a three-year program that will support local songwriters and composers to build sustainable careers and create music that will connect with audiences across the globe
• The Arts Centre Melbourne has also been turned into the music hall of fame with the launching of the Australian Music Vault, a new exhibition space dedicated to sharing the story of Australian contemporary music

The Victorian music industry has also released a 10 Point Plan highlighting the steps it took to grow and nurture its live community.