NSW Labor commits $35 million to resurrect live music industry
Michael Daley has pledged millions of dollars to resurrect live music in NSW after the struggling industry received less than $4 million in funding over the last four years.
The Sydney Fringe Festival would receive funding for the first time under a Daley Labor government which will today commit to invest $35 million to resurrect NSW’s struggling live music sector.
While the Melbourne Fringe Festival currently receives $367,000 every year from the Victorian government, Sydney Fringe receives almost no support despite being the largest independent arts festival in NSW.
If elected premier next month, Opposition Leader Michael Daley will spend $175,000 every year over the next four years in supporting the festival which has been running for a decade without financial aid.
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It comes after a NSW parliamentary inquiry found Sydney has a “live music venue crisis” with many venues defeated by archaic licensing conditions.
While Sydney Fringe organisers successfully fought a “no DJs, no dancing” clause that police tried to impose, other live music venues have been banned from hanging disco balls and hosting rock and roll bands.
Opposition spokesman for music and the night time economy John Graham said the total $700,000 in funding will be allocated “for new programming that includes music (of any genre), DJs or dancing”.
“We don’t accept government should tell people what type of music to listen to,” Mr Graham said.
Mr Daley said Labor would “put an end to the war on music”.
Sydney Fringe chief executive officer Kerri Glasscock said the festival receives no organisational funding from the NSW government.
“One of the biggest challenges as a medium-sized organisation is just getting our foot in the door with regular funding so being able to be acknowledged as a vital part of the cultural sector in this state and receiving ongoing funding will make an immense difference,” she said.
“Even though we’d love to be on par with Melbourne or even more … this is a great start for us and it gives us the ability to leverage from that investment with other partnerships.”
The money forms part of Labor’s $35 million injection into the NSW music industry, which received less than $4 million in funding over the last four years — where 176 venues closed down — compared to $27 million in Victoria.
The package also includes $5.1 million to help artists tour regionally and nationally through a new “Band Aid” program and $1.3 million to help them perform overseas through a new “Music Passport” program.
Labor’s music policy officially launches today and will be headlined by Sydney rockers The Preatures, who will give a special performance.
LABOR’S MUSIC FUNDING PACKAGE
● Total funding for contemporary music will increase funding from under $4 million over the last four years to $35 million
● $5.1 million to help artists tour regionally and nationally through a new “Band Aid” program and $1.3 million to help them perform overseas through a new “Music Passport” program
● $4 million for a new Music Industry Office charged with implementing an industry development plan to grow the NSW music industry
● $1.3 million to support an “On the Road Again” program to take music industry promoters and booking agents to tour regional venues
● Up to $10 million to create a home for the music sector in Sydney
● A new youth music organisation, working with MusicNSW
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