News Updates

Queen's Birthday Honours 2013

In the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, over 40 of the recipients have made a contribution to musical life in Australia in one way or another, as musicians, educators, advocates, patrons, board members, composers, and community leaders.

For the full lists, click here.

Michael Brady, well known for his songs ‘Up There Cazaly’ and ‘One Day in September’, received an AM for his services to music as a composer and performer, and also for his contribution to Variety Victoria, Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia, Australian Huntington's Disease Association, and other organisations. Joining him in the AM list were Iva Davies (Icehouse) and Ronnie Burns who retired in 2000 from a 35 year performing career including as a solo artists and lead singer with The Flies.

Creative Young Stars Grants

creative oz smallThe Federal Government is taking applications for the Creative Young Stars program, announced earlier this year as part of the Creative Australia policy. Full details are available here, this is a quick summary of the program for individuals and school or community groups wanting to apply for a music activity.

The program is intended for students and young people (under 25), and is for the direct costs of "artistic, cultural, academic or community based activities, events or training".  

How much?

Up to $500 for individuals and up to $3000 for groups is available. Each Member of Parliament (there are 150 in Australia) can award up to 12 individual grants and two group grants in this round.  The entire program is approximately $8 million per year.

Dates

Deadline: 21 June 2013

Successful applicants notified from 29 July 2013, All successful applicants should be notified by 12 August 2013.

There will be more rounds of this funding in 2013-15.

Grant Guidelines

  • The program is for students and young people, under 25 years of age.
  • The lower age limit appears to be the start of primary school. ie. Primary school students are eligible but preschool students are not.
  • In groups where some members are over 25 (for example, we know that some youth orchestras have a few older members), the group is not eligible.
  • A "group" is defined as six or more people. Small groups can make individual ($500) applications.
  • The Grant Purpose must be for the cost of fees, travel, accommodation, costumes/uniforms, or equipment costs associated with the Nominated Activity.
  • The four broad categories are eligible activities are creative and performing arts, cultural activity, academic endeavour, school and community achievement. A similar program for sporting activities is also available.
  • The grant cannot be used for other purposes such as spending money or travel for
    chaperones, teachers, coordinators, or family members not participating in the Nominated Activity.
  • A letter of support ("endorsement") is required from a school, training or community organisation. Where the young person has been selected to participate in an event (for example, a music competition in another city), a letter of selection can be provided instead.

Criteria

This is worth considering if you are applying. Generally a local MP will convene a committee from the local community to assess the grants (if they choose not to, DEEWR will make the assessment).

  • demonstrated need for funding (value for public money) – this will be assessed based on information provided by the Applicant in the application form and letter of support or letter of selection.
  • representative spread of successful Applicants across each Category of activity and primary, secondary and youth.

For more information, and to apply, see http://www.youth.gov.au/sites/youth/news/pages/creative-young-stars

 

When the Creative Australia policy was announced we wrote about this initiative, first responding to incorrect reports that local MPs would hold talent quests, then describing what we knew about the Creative Young Stars soon after the policy was released.

For more information about the Creative Australia policy, read our 'Music Roundup' and response.

Queensland Music Festival: Get Involved

How many people play in your local orchestra? A community orchestra in Australia has 47 players on average. At this year's Queensland Music Festival (QMF) you can expect something much bigger.

Under the direction of James Morrison, the QMF is looking for up to 10,000 musicians to take part in a Guinness World Records attempt. Not only are they putting together the largest orchestra we've ever seen, there's a second record attempt to put the largest trumpet ensemble together. 

Whatever your orchestral instrument of choice; whether you're part of a school or community orchestra, concert or brass band, a professional musician or play just for fun - you could be playing alongside QMF Artistic Director and internationally renowned musician, James Morrison, and up to 10,000 other musicians at Suncorp Stadium.

Date: July 13, 2013

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Registration fee: $25/$19 (cheaper with early bird registration; early bird closes 7 June)

Suitable for: Any players of orchestral instruments (violin, viola, cello, double bass, Piccolo, flute, oboe, cor anglais/English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, (and/or clarinet in E-flat), saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone), bassoon, contrabassoon, recorder, French horn, trumpet/cornet, trombone, euphonium, tuba. timpani/percussion.

Read more

For more information about this year's Queensland Music Festival see www.qmf.org.au

Asia Pacific Community Music Network (APCMN) Seminar

ISMECall for Proposals: “Community Music in the Asia Pacific Region”

This inaugural seminar of the Asia Pacific Community Music Network (APCMN) will be held in Brisbane, Australia from 19-20 November 2013. The seminar will bring together community music practitioners and scholars to celebrate and explore the music-making practices, pedagogies, and cultural politics that are currently shaping community music in this region.

Creative Australia – Music Round Up

by Chris Bowen, CEO, Music Council of Australia. March 2013.

Former Arts Minister Simon Crean launched the long awaited National Cultural Policy on 13 March. Here is a round up on what Creative Australia offers for music or where it has potential for music over the next four years. The full policy can be read here.