This category aims to assist independent Victorian musicians and groups to build audiences through live performance, by supporting regional, interstate and international touring projects.
It also enables artists to pursue commercial opportunities outside of Victoria, by supporting them or their managers to attend music conferences or business related meetings interstate or overseas.
The following activities will be supported:
- Transportation costs
- Accommodation
- Conference/festival registration fees
- Promotion campaigns that relate to a tour.
Eligibility
Music Touring
You must be a Victorian professional original contemporary music act and show a track record of live performance with ongoing touring plans.
Priority is given to tour line-ups and bills that include Victorian musicians exclusively. Regional Victorian tours will also rate as a high priority for funding.
Where a proposal involves touring with non-Victorian bands, applicants need to clearly show how this particular bill provides a unique opportunity (eg the chance for an emerging band to tour interstate as the support act for a major band based in another state or as a support act for an overseas band in an international market).
Professional Travel
You must be an established Victorian artist or music manager with either two years professional experience or a significant music industry background.
The program will support attendance at a professionally presented music conference, festival or an organised itinerary of music business related meetings that will result in a CD release/distribution deal, tour or other significant opportunity.
Meeting confirmation emails or letters of invitation must accompany the application.
Closing Dates
7 September 2009
2 November 2009
1 February 2010
5 May 2010
It takes approximately 10 weeks from the closing date until funding results are available.
Funds Available
Funding is designed to help off-set touring costs such as transport, accommodation and promotional costs.
The program will not fund the entire cost of your project. You will need to demonstrate that you have other income or support from other sources to contribute toward the tour costs (eg ticket sales, guarantees, in-kind or self investment/cash contribution).
Arts Victoria's contribution is capped as follows:
Music Touring
- Regional Victorian touring - up to $5,000.
- Interstate touring - up to $10,000.
- International touring - up to $15,000.
Professional Travel
- Domestic activity - up to $2,000, with a maximum of $1,000 per person.
- International activity - up to $10,000, with a maximum of $5,000 per person.
- Funding will cover professional travel by no more than two people per application.
In the 2007-2008 financial year 93 applications were received and 28 (30%) were funded. The total funds awarded was $241,708 and individual grants ranged from $1,500 to $25,000.
To apply for funding you must:
- Complete the application form which includes a budget. Download the application form and full guidelines as a:
- Answer all questions in Section 6 – Project Report
- Provide artistic support material relevant to your project (eg DVD, CD)
- Provide supporting documents (eg quotes for proposed costs, press clippings)
The Project Details
This section should contain the following:
- A clear description of what you plan to do.
- A list of previous performances in the last two years
- Details and credentials of the headline and support act(s).
- Any partnerships, this may include presenters, media or private sector organisations that are supporting or sponsoring the tour.
- Explain how the tour will be promoted
- Describe the potential unique benefits and outcomes of this tour
- What are the complementary activities (what else is happening around the tour: eg – CD release or promotional activity)
- What are the next steps following the tour? (include a timeline)
- How will you evaluate the success and outcomes of the tour?
- For Professional Travel please outline what you plan to do, who is involved and what you plan to achieve.
Management
You must provide the following information:
- How the project will be managed before, during and after the tour.
- Who is responsible for the overall management and coordination of the project.
- Details of the tour's marketing, promotion and audience development strategies. Supply details rather than general statements such as "interviews and street press ads". Please be specific.
Supporting Documents
Victorian Tours
You must include:
- A confirmed itinerary of at least three regional Victorian destinations.
- Details of appropriate partnerships with regional organisations, communities and/or media outlets.
Interstate Tours
You must include:
- A confirmed tour itinerary of at least two states or territories outside of Victoria; comprising performances that will take place at recognised live venues; or
- Proof of invitation to perform at a significant festival or live event(s).
International Tours
You must include:
- A confirmed tour itinerary of at least two performances that will take place at recognised live venues.
- Proof of invitation to perform at a significant festival, music conference or live event(s).
- Evidence of an international strategy including an itinerary of confirmed music industry meetings, publicity strategy, physical or digital product (CD) release, on line marketing and any other planned activity.
Professional Travel
You must include:
- An itinerary of business meetings, conference, or music festival attendance.
- Invitations, letters or emails confirming appointments.
- A strategy statement outlining what you hope to achieve.
Applications are competitively assessed and prioritised according to the following criteria:
- The concept and strategy behind the tour.
- The applicant's professional track record and commitment to delivering contemporary live original music.
- Details of the artist's live work in the last twelve months.
- The ability of the tour to build and expand on a demonstrated audience base or market niche.
- Evidence of other sources of income, such as guaranteed performance fees, projection of ticket sales, sponsorship.
- Confirmation of media partners and/or planned publicity activity.
Applications go through a standard assessment process, including review and evaluation by a peer assessment panel.
The current panel members are:
- Natalie Bell - Music manager and youth marketer
- Rae Harvey - Artist manager
- Adrian Marchesani - Artist manager and music industry educator.
- Craig Mathieson - Music journalist
- Adam Simmons - Musican
As a recipient of Arts Victoria funding, you are required to:
- Notify Arts Victoria of any changes to your proposed project
- Publicly acknowledge the support of the Victorian Government using specific logos and text
- Acquit your grant by completing a written report on the outcomes of your funded project.
Logos and Text Acknowledgement
Logos
The Victoria Rocks logo must be included on all promotional materials produced by the grant recipient in relation to the funded activity.
These may include (but are not restricted to):
- Posters, fliers and brochures
- CD package liner notes intended for commercial release
- Sampler CDs
- Advertisements
- Invitations
- Press releases
- Promotional videos
- E-cards, electronic press kits and Websites.
The Victoria Rocks logo is available in a variety of formats, please take note of the guidelines for its use.
Text Acknowledgement
The following text acknowledgement should be use in any speeches, media releases, interviews and other circumstances where a logo may not be possible:
[This project is] supported by the Victorian Government through the Victoria Rocks program
Acquittal Reports
When your funded activity is completed, you must provide Arts Victoria with an acquittal report within 30 days.
Failure to satisfactorily acquit funding will make you ineligible for future Arts Victoria funding and may result in action to recover the grant.
Download the acquittal form as a:
Further information about the program can be obtained from:
Jonathan Williamson
T: 03 8683 3140
jonathan.williamson@dpc.vic.gov.au
Sarah-Jane Wentzki
T. 03 8683 3135
sarah-jane.wentzki@dpc.vic.gov.au