Sydney invests $360,000 in live music venues, programs and the night time economy
Sydney’s nightlife will get a major boost with the City of Sydney awarding more than $360,000 in funding for live music venues and small businesses that program entertainment and creative activities after-dark.
Sydney’s new Live Music and Performance Business Support Grants provide dollar-for-dollar matched funding to live entertainment venues to upgrade their staging, lighting and sound equipment, to purchase backline instruments, and to install acoustic treatments to improve in-venue sound quality and reduce sound transfer to neighbouring properties.
Funding is also available for businesses who do not currently offer live programs to invest in the infrastructure and equipment required to introduce live music and entertainment to their premises.
The first round of funding has invested almost $175,000 in the quality and sustainability of local venues.
A second grant, the Night Time Diversification Grant, invests in creative programs after dark to encourage increased footfall and lively commercial and entertainment precincts across the city at night. The first round of grants has committed over $140,000 to live music and cabaret programs.
These grants will help venues to take risks with their programming and to support local acts by sharing the costs of booking local and emerging talent.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the funding would help make Sydney more diverse after dark.
“This new late-night grant program is part of our dedicated support for a thriving night-time economy. We want to do everything we can to encourage businesses to provide more diverse night-time activities.
“These grants will help venues across the city introduce new night-time performances and fund important infrastructure upgrades to enable and improve live music for artists and audiences alike.“
Venues that will benefit from the matched grant funding include:
- The Roosevelt in Potts Point, an infamous night-spot of the late 1940s, the funding will pay for new staging and audio equipment to bring live music back to the venue;
- Priscilla Queen of the Desert’s iconic Imperial Hotel in Erskineville;
- Stalwarts of the local indie music scene, the Oxford Art Factory in Darlinghurst, Freda’s in Chippendale, The World Bar in Kings Cross and Hudson Ballroom in the city centre;
- Smaller venues Knox Street Bar in Chippendale and Staves Brewery in Glebe;
- Late-night jazz venue Foundry 616 in Ultimo;
- Two theatres, the City Recital Hall and the Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst will be supported to provide innovative cabaret performances as a compliment to their mainstage programs; and
- Performance art, small-scale theatre and experimental music will be provided staging facilities at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre.
The next round of grants is now open and applications close on March 12, a further $225,000 is up for grabs.