Australian Labor Party leader Daniel Andrews and Shadow Minister for Arts and Youth Affairs Martin Foley have promised a $22.2 million funding package for the local music industry in Victoria.
Mr Andrews and Mr Foley made the announcement of the funding proposal at Melbourne’s Sing Sing Studios, where dozens of artists from the state of Victoria including Mark Seymour, British India and Megan Washington, have recorded.
Since the election of the current Liberal Government, music in Victoria has suffered from million of dollars of cutbacks. “The Liberals abandoned artists who were trying to build their career – it’s hurt the scene and it’s hurt our state,” Mr Andrews said in a statement.
Victoria is Australia’s premier state for contemporary music. The state is or has been the home to Nick Cave, The Living End, Kylie Minogue, Men At Work, Jet, Brodie Dalle, Missy Higgins, Phil Rudd of AC/DC, The Temper Trap, Crowded House and Little River Band.
Under the current Liberal Government, funding for the Arts was slashed and the music industry, one of the state’s prime tourism movers and export revenue generators stalled. Labor promises to correct the destruction of the Napthine government. “A Labor Government will support local acts every step of the way, because they create local jobs and they create something that lasts.”
Labor’s Victoria Rocks grants will also support mentoring and career development, support music in regional Victoria, offer dollar-for-dollar grants to venues to manage problems with encroachment from neighbours, fix poor acoustics and dodgy PAs, help make our music heritage a must-see for tourists, and establish the Music Passport for projects, trade delegations and campaigns taking our music overseas. Big acts will also be required to tour with support from local emerging bands.
“Our reputation as the live and rock music capital is priceless and Labor will help take it to the next level,” Mr Andrews said.
Victoria will go to the polls on 29 November, 2014.
Martin Foley talks to Noise11.com
