Creative Australia has announced the latest investment through national touring programs, Playing Australia and the Contemporary Music Touring Program.
The investment of more than $2 million will bring live music and performances to audiences right across Australia, from major venues and festivals to regional towns and community halls.
Investment of $1.5 million through Playing Australia will support tours of live theatre, dance, puppetry and spoken word performance to 53 locations across Australia, with 70 per cent of performances reaching regional or remote communities.
Among the highlights are FORM Dance Projects' national tour of Jannawi Dance Clan's Garrigarrang Badu, a major new work featuring nine female First Nations dancers. Queensland-based inclusive theatre company, indelabilityarts will tour Mystery Quest a participatory work for children, combining live performance and interactive gaming to explore themes including online safety.
A further 20 projects will be supported through the Contemporary Music Touring Program supporting national tours reaching 98 unique locations across Australia, with additional investment from Music Australia creating more opportunities for Australian musicians to tour nationally.
Among the projects supported is The Quokkas, bringing children's music to towns across Central West NSW during the school holidays.
Other contemporary music tours include The Belair Lip Bombs, Beddy Rays, Rum Jungle, The Tuck Shop Ladies, Sly Withers, Velvet Bloom, Horrorshow and Grieves, The Cambodian Space Project, Sumner, Lizzy & the Woods and Melbourne Ska Orchestra.
Creative Australia Executive Director Arts Investment Alice Nash said:
"Touring is vital to ensuring people across Australia can experience live music and performing arts, wherever they live.
"This investment supports artists and organisations to build connections with communities, strengthen touring networks and bring high-quality creative experiences to audiences across the country."
A full list of recipients is available via the awarded grants list on the Creative Australia website.
Image: Indelart's Mystery Quest. Photo by Joel Devereux. Graphic by Jeremy Gordon.
