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After being endorsed by Council last night, the City of Melbourne today released a draft of the Melbourne Music Strategy 2014-17, which details the plan the city will undertake over the next three years to further engage with and support the industry, ensuring Melbourne remains one of the nation’s music capitals.
The city’s previous music strategy was developed in 2010 and focused primarily on marketing and audience development. In June 2013 a Music Strategy Advisory Committee was established to review 2010’s strategy and develop a new plan for the next three years.
In the draft, the committee say their new strategy moves the conversation even further, covering a broader range of issues around how music is funded, developed and staged as well as possible planning and regulatory reforms, and access to relevant industry research.
Councillor Rohan Leppert, the City’s Chair of Arts and Culture told theMusic.com.au, “Melbourne’s music industry is a vital part of the city’s culture. This three-year plan outlines how we will continue to work with other levels of government and the music industry, to support issues such as access to music, encouraging the creation of music, live music venues, business mentoring and promotion.”
The committee’s 18 recommendations are split up into six themes – Visibility, Promotion and Positioning, Spaces and Collaboration, Funding and Support, Policy reform and Advocacy, as well as Research and Information.
Among the many recommendations outlined in the strategy, the committee suggest working with industry and other state bodies on the possibility of establishing a dedicated music hub in central Melbourne as well as conducting audits with existing live music venue operators to help identify new and existing spaces for meeting, performance and rehearsal in the city.
The strategy also suggests the council and music stakeholders investigate the potential of bringing an international music-industry-conference to Melbourne and investigating strategic alliances with other world music cities to drive local economic activity and bring new opportunities and investment to Melbourne.
TheMusic notes Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle this year pledged $14 million to arts and events, but there has been no commitment as yet on how much of that will go towards the implantation of the Melbourne Music Strategy.
Councillor Leppert said that while some of that funding would be seen in the music sector but did not provide any more details. “The $14 million commitment to the arts is through Council’s Arts and Culture portfolio, which does touch on music and music culture … This is an annual funding program for artists of all practices,” he said.
The full details of The 2014-17 Melbourne Music Strategy as well as the complete list of the Music Advisory Committee members is available here. The strategy is open for community feedback until Friday, 30th May.
The 2014-17 Melbourne Music Strategy draft was endorsed by Council last night for community feedback. Have your say: http://t.co/DWJSDjJSZB
— Rohan Leppert (@RohanLeppert) May 7, 2014
