Apply for Victorian Government Funding Programs – Australia

Deadline: 17 May 2024

Applications for the Live Music Festivals Fund and The Victorian Gig Fund are now open.

Programs

Live Music Festivals Fund
- Live Music Festivals Fund is a grant program designed to support the economic sustainability of ticketed contemporary music festivals in the state of Victoria:
  - With a capacity of 1,000+ attendees
  - Run by experienced and established Victorian festival organisers with a proven track record
- By supporting experienced festival organisers to continue to present live music events across Victoria, the Live Music Festivals Fund will:
  - Contribute to the viability of the supported festivals
  - Provide opportunities for artists to earn income and connect with audiences
  - Provide work for skilled event businesses across the sector ecosystem and supply chain
- A minimum of 25% of total distributed funds will be prioritised for activity in regional Victoria.
- This grant program is guided by the Victorian Government’s Creative State 2025 strategy and the principles it contains:
  - First Peoples first – place First Peoples knowledge, practice, protocols and cultural authority front-and-centre and forge stronger and enduring partnerships with First Peoples creative communities.
  - For every Victorian – regardless of cultural background, age, gender identity, income or ability, every Victorian can take up their right to participation in the cultural and creative life of the state.
  - Whole of state – people in remote, regional, and outer-metropolitan areas have improved and more equitable access to cultural experiences, creative expression and creative careers.
  - Health and wellbeing – foster healthy, safe and respectful working environments.
  - Environment impact – the creative industries reduce environmental impact in everything they make, share, present, tour and consume.
- What can be funded?
  - Funding can be spent on costs associated with the planning and delivery of your festival, specifically:
    - Artists
    - Production
    - Marketing
    - Operations
    - Travel
    - Access
  - Each application may apply for up to $50,000 (made up of $47,000 for items 1-5 above, and $3,000 for accessibility initiatives).
  - While only one application can be made per festival, the same applicant can make multiple applications, each one for a different festival that they deliver.
  - All musicians performing at supported festivals must be paid at least $250 AUD per person.
- What won’t be funded?
  - They will not fund festivals that:
    - are not staged in Victoria
    - are primarily or substantially for the purpose of persuading or converting
    - are not intended to have a capacity of at least 1000 in-person attendees
    - do not feature original live music as the primary entertainment form.
    - are not ticketed
    - are private events, competitions, prizes, eisteddfods, awards or similar
Victorian Gig Fund
- Victorian Gig Fund is a grant program designed to enable licenced live music venues to provide Victorian musicians with paid performance opportunities in the state of Victoria and is open to applications from venue operators:
  - whose primary business model is presenting original live music; and
  - with a capacity between 50-1200 people.
- By supporting dedicated live music venues to pay minimum fee guarantees to Victorian artists, this program will:
  - provide direct support and employment pathways to artists, musicians and events workers
  - engage audiences and communities with local live music events
  - establish stronger links between regional and metropolitan musicians, artists, bookers, organisations and businesses
  - support broader reach into communities where gig opportunities may be limited.
- A minimum of 25% of total distributed funds will be prioritised for activity in regional Victoria.
- This grant program is guided by the Victorian Government’s Creative State 2025 strategy and the principles it contains:
  - First Peoples first – place First Peoples knowledge, practice, protocols and cultural authority front-and-centre and forge stronger and enduring partnerships with First Peoples creative communities.
  - For every Victorian – regardless of cultural background, age, gender identity, income or ability every Victorian can take up their right to participation in the cultural and creative life of the state.
  - Whole of state – people in remote, regional, and outer-metropolitan areas have improved and more equitable access to cultural experiences, creative expression and creative careers.
  - Health and wellbeing – foster healthy, safe and respectful working environments.
  - Environment impact – the creative industries reduce environmental impact in everything they make, share, present, tour and consume.
- What can be funded?
  - Funding may only be used to cover Artist Fees (guarantees), and at a minimum rate of $250 per performer. Performers must be Victorian (with majority of act members being based in Victoria).
  - Funding of $10,000 per venue will be available to support 20 gigs across the FY2024/25.
  - While only one application can be made per venue, the same applicant can make multiple applications, each one for a different venue that they run.
  - Examples of some possible distributions of the $10,000 funding ensuring 20 performances are supported while adhering to the $250 performer minimum:
    - 20 x solo acts at $500 each ($500 per performer)
    - 10 x solo acts at $250 each AND 10 x 3 piece acts at $750 each
    - 20 x 2 piece acts at $500 each
    - 20 x 4 piece acts at $1000 each with half contributed by funding and the other half by the venue as a guarantee.
- What won’t be funded?
  - They will not fund venues (or their gigs) that:
    - are not in Victoria.
    - are primarily or substantially for the purpose of persuading or converting
    - do not feature live music as the primary entertainment form
    - are private events, competitions, prizes, eisteddfods, awards or similar.

Eligibility Criteria

Live Music Festivals Fund
- To apply you must be an experienced organiser of ticketed contemporary live music festivals which:
  - are located in Victoria and hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) registered in Victoria (and held that ABN at 31 March 2024)
  - may include promoters, NFP organisations, artists/bands, or other music industry businesses and organisations
  - can demonstrate delivery of at least two ticketed live music festivals or events within Victoria in the preceding 5 years of application, each with:
    - An in-person capacity over 1,000 and
    - A sound revenue generating model
  - have the applicable rights to deliver a live music festival in Victoria in the Round’s eligible festival dates with an in-person capacity of 1,000+
Victorian Gig Fund
- To apply, you must be an operator of a licensed live music venue in Victoria:
  - with a demonstrated history of programming original live music
  - with a liquor licence that shows a venue capacity of 50-1200 people
  - that holds a OneMusic licence for public performance of music (that was held on 31 Mar 2024)
  - that has dedicated performance and audience spaces to support live music performance within the venue
  - with an active Australian Business Number (ABN) (held at 31 Mar 2024).

Ineligible

Live Music Festivals Fund
- They will not accept applications from:
  - State-owned cultural agencies and organisations
  - State government departments and agencies
  - applicants who have already received State Government funding (including via agencies) for the festival that they are applying for
  - applicants that receive multi-year funding from the State Government
  - local government
  - applicants that have an overdue Creative Victoria acquittal
  - applicants that do not have or do not agree to obtain appropriate OneMusic licence and other required licences, permits, insurances and approvals with respect of the live music festival for which the application is made
  - An auspicing body or an organisation acting as an auspice body.
Victorian Gig Fund
- They will not accept applications from:
  - unlicensed venues
  - venues that receive revenue directly from electronic gaming machines
  - State or local government-run venues
  - venues who have already received State Government funding (including via agencies) for the gigs that they are applying for
  - venues that receive multi-year funding from the State Government
  - venues that have an overdue Creative Victoria acquittal.
  - venues that do not have or do not agree to obtain appropriate OneMusic licence and other licences, permits, insurances and approvals with respect of the live music for which the application is made.
  - an auspicing body or an organisation acting as an auspice body.