Victoria Music Strategy Grants Program – Australia

The Victoria Music Strategy (VMS) Grant program is dedicated to funding innovative projects that realize the VMS vision “to make Victoria a dynamic music hub and a global music destination.” Victoria has all the elements to be a world class music city. The combination of natural beauty, mild climate, Indigenous culture, DIY, indie-folk island vibe and the positioning between two major music hubs, Vancouver, and Seattle, provide the foundation to celebrate what is already distinct and unique about the Victoria music scene.

The Victoria Music Strategy includes five strategic priorities and 27 action items to build on industry strengths and address challenges to realize the potential of the local music ecosystem. The five strategic priorities in the VMS are: 1. Connecting People and Spaces: Create space for music 2. Nurture the Talent: Support musicians and music organizations 3. Grow the Audience: Everyday musical encounters 4. Be Future-Ready: Music innovation and the creative economy 5. License to Create: Music friendly policy and licensing

What Does This Program Support?

• This annual program provides $150,000 in grant funding to leverage what they currently have and address gaps in the music ecosystem with a focus on activating affordable spaces for music production, rehearsals, and performances, professional development opportunities for local musicians and industry professionals, and innovative projects in collaboration with the technology and creative sectors.
• Grant funding will empower community groups to incubate and realize unique projects that bring forward sustainable solutions for the music sector to thrive.

What Can the Grant Be Used For?

• Eligible projects that address specific VMS strategic priorities with clearly defined outcomes and benefits for the music sector will qualify for funding review. Included below are a selection of strategic priorities and action items that will receive priority funding.
• Connecting People and Spaces: Create space for music
  • Applicants seeking to create space for music can request funding up to a maximum of $50,000 per project. Projects that preserve existing affordable live music venues and develop new small and mid-sized performance venues, rehearsal and recording facilities in underutilized and/or vacant spaces will be prioritized for funding.
• Nurture the Talent: Support musicians and music organizations
  • Applicants seeking to support musicians and music organizations can request funding up to a maximum of $15,000 per project. Projects that provide professional development, mentorship and training to expand opportunities for emerging artists, prioritizing Indigenous and equity-seeking groups; and projects that develop youth and all age programming in publicly accessible spaces will be prioritized for funding.
• Grow the Audience: Everyday musical encounters
  • Applicants seeking to create new everyday musical encounters can request funding up to a maximum of $10,000 per project. Applicants that have a project idea to address this strategic priority must contact staff to discuss their project, prior to applying for grant funding.
• Creative License: Create music friendly policies and regulations
  • Applicants seeking to support development of music friendly policies and regulations can request funding up to a maximum of $15,000 per project. Applicants that have a project idea to address this strategic priority must contact staff to discuss their project, prior to applying for grant funding.
• Be-Future Ready: Music innovation and the creative economy
  • Applicants seeking to collaborate with the technology and creative economy sectors to create innovation for the music sector can request funding up to a maximum of $25,000. Projects that develop a music innovation hub with accelerator, incubator, and labs for musicians in collaboration with technology and innovation sector partners to realize new models for growth, exposure and attracting and retaining music industry talent in Victoria will be prioritized for funding.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria listed below to have their application reviewed for funding under this grant program.
  • Be registered as a not-for-profit society, non-profit cooperative, charitable organization, Songhees and Esquimalt First Nation Council, or a registered Urban Indigenous not-for-profit society operating within the Capital Regional District (CRD);
    • Please Note: If you are a musician, band, or a commercial venue, you will require a Sponsor or Partner not-for-profit or charitable organization to be the applicant.
    • Not-for-profit organizations must be operating within the CRD, however, projects must take place within the City of Victoria.
  • Have operated as a registered organization for one full year prior to the date ofapplication;
  • Be in good standing with the B.C. Society Act and have met all the terms and conditions of all previous City of Victoria grants, including submission of final reports;
  • Submit a complete application package including all required materials prior to the deadline;
  • Each eligible organization can apply for funding for one project.
• Partnerships and collaborations between individual musicians, bands, artist collectives, commercial venues, music sector professionals and not-for-profit organizations are encouraged. Individual artists, bands, and/or music sector professionals will require a Sponsor or Partner organization (eligible not-for-profit society or registered charity) to apply for funding and be involved in supporting the project.

Ineligible

• Applicants cannot apply for funding under this grant program to cover any of the following:
  • Capital projects or expenses: equipment purchase or facility infrastructure upgrade projects. These projects and activities are funded through the City’s Cultural Infrastructure Grant program.
  • Music festivals, cultural and community music performances or celebrations. These projects and activities are funded through the City’s Festival Investment Grant program.
  • Annual or ongoing music programming, community choirs and events.
  • Projects receiving funding from other City grant programs (i.e.: Festival Investment Grant, Cultural Infrastructure Grant, My Great Neighbourhood Grant, etc.)
  • City funding will not exceed 50% of the project budget up to the maximum amount of the strategic priority funding limit.
  • Project expenses that have been incurred prior to submission of the grant application.
  • Fundraising activities.
  • Projects where the majority of expenses and resources are non-music focused.
  • Projects that include profanity, violence, pornography, public incitement or promotion of hatred, or any forms of discrimination as defined by the Canadian Human Rights Act.

For more information, visit City of Victoria.