The Central West live music industry is set to benefit from a new round of federal government grants poised to support musicians, venues and industry professionals.
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Calare MP Andrew Gee announced $82,742 in funding for Arts OutWest and $54,450 for The Victoria Bathurst on Friday as part of the federal government's Live Music Australia program.
Mr Gee said the funding would look to help bolster the Central West's live music industry who, like many other areas of Australia, has faced significant cultural and financial difficulty for a number of years, with COVID-19 further exacerbating the situation.
"The Arts OutWest Local Original Live and Kicking project is all about supporting our performing artists, getting regular music programs together and helping promote the output of our regional creators," he said.
"But these artists also need well-resourced venues to play, so we've delivered funding for The Victoria to make the outdoor stage [The Backyard] and Little Alberts wheelchair accessible, enhanced space to hold larger gigs and assistance for organisers sell more tickets to regional gigs."
Arts OutWest executive director Tracey Callinan said there's a lot of music industry professionals working across the Central West in desperate need of support after a tough 18 months in the face of COVID-19.
"Full and part-time musicians across the region have lost numerous gigs due to the pandemic, so want to ensure they're receiving as much support as possible," Ms Callinan said.
"But it's more than that: there are venues who lost vital economic and cultural assets, which is why, in association with MusicNSW, we are looking to foster a network of venues across the Central West for artists and venues operators to collectively benefit."
The Victoria general manager Heath Smith said the latest round of funding will allow the venue to enhance the live music experience and increase the calibre of artists.
"We've worked tirelessly on growing our live music offerings over the past two and a half years, while creating an engaging venue for original artists Australia-wide," Mr Smith said.
"It's not always about dollars in the till: we need to nurture a synergetic relationship between artists and venues to deepen the cultural fabric of our communities."
Orange musician Darren Smith said the funding, alongside MusicNSW assistance, will help grow opportunities for artists to grow their audience.
"The support of venues and adequate government support is crucial to us as musicians," Mr Smith said.
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