A Regional and Remote Music Summit will take place at the Byron Community Centre and throughout Byron Bay venues from July 23 to 25.
It will feature key industry players as well as artists, Indigenous perspectives and NSW Labor Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham, MLC.
It’s the second event held by MusicNSW, which describes itself as a not-for-profit that ‘empowers and connects artists and industry’.
The NSW government funds MusicNSW through Create NSW and Sound NSW.
Program
A summit welcome and networking reception will be held at the Byron Bay Surf Club on July 23 from 4.30pm till 6.30pm.
An all-day event at the Byron Community Centre on July 24 is planned, starting with three mini keynote addresses by Rhoda Roberts AO, Dr Vic McEwan (Cad Factory) and Rona Glynn-McDonald (RONA), which will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A moderated by broadcaster and journalist Tracee Hutchison.
Throughout the day, there will be panels exploring how artists can reduce their touring footprint, and ‘can we make touring more sustainable and bring music to more communities?’
Ben Lee to present
Musician Ben Lee will present at 3.45pm, and is followed by an Indigenous showcase, titled ‘Live Nation’s Ones to Watch’.
On the following day – July 25 – NSW Labor Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham, MLC will be in conversation with Jane Slingo (VibeLab & EMC) from 9.40am.
The discussion is described as ‘how to leverage policy to drive change, strengthen music communities in both cities and the regions, and unpack the NSW government’s strategy to enable sustainable growth across the music sector and night-time economy’.
At 12pm, a panel will ‘explore how community-led festivals strengthen regional identity, support local economies, and create lasting impact’.
Community radio
At 12pm, a panel will speak on the ‘cultural and economic contribution of community music radio’, and at 2.30pm The future of community radio will be explored
The day concludes with a Dashville gig at the Bangalow Bowlo.
Joe Muller, Managing Director, MusicNSW says, ‘From touring in a climate-conscious world, to the roles of community radio, DIY touring and festivals in cultivating strong music cultures, we will centre regional voices and offer inspiration and insights for anyone interested in music as a force for connection, renewal and sustainability in our communities’.
Q&A with Joe Muller from MusicNSW
The Echo: Musicians in Australia seem to be paid a lot less than most other countries. There seems to be a lot of opportunity for industry discussion within this summit, but no real solutions being offered to musicians. Will this event provide any tangible outcome that will result in more paid gigs for musicians and improved working conditions?
Muller: ‘The vast majority of the MusicNSW team (myself included) are musicians ourselves and our purpose as an organisation is completely oriented towards cultivating the conditions for artists to build sustainable careers, with a focus on the grassroots’.
‘We acknowledge though the complex economic headwinds and systemic practices – some societal and some industry specific – that threaten the vitality of local music scenes.
‘This summit invites folks from across the country to come together to meet this moment and navigate these difficult questions and discuss solutions that can look to provide tangible outcomes for everyone’.
Which panel discussions will address the conditions for working musicians directly, not just the broader industry?
‘We’ll be diving into discussions around regional touring networks and looking at ways artists can build audiences and long-term careers through touring’.
‘Additionally, we’ll be looking at the roles of community radio, of festivals as community infrastructure and at alternative spaces and touring models, which thrive in regional areas’.
Do you see any solutions or ideas coming through the industry pipeline that will improve conditions for working musicians?
‘There are a whole range of ideas being discussed by government and industry that propose new policy settings to improve the conditions for musicians – tax incentives, investment strategies, streaming quotas, touring initiatives and more’.
‘For MusicNSW though, we take a bottom-up approach to artist development and understand that healthy music ecosystems are strengthened by the interconnectedness of artists with audiences and local music businesses.
‘Our work is all about enabling this grassroots development, with a strong belief that creative people are stronger together, and a focus on encouraging authentic, local music scenes to flourish’.
For dates, times, locations, and tickets, visit regionalmusicsummit.com.
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