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COVID-impacted Queensland live music and performance venues will share in $2,597,226 from the Queensland Government’s Live Music Support Program.

This funding works to offset operational costs incurred by 15 indoor live music venues and a further nine performing arts venues across the state that experienced cancellations or had to postpone live performances.

The investment boosts the recovery of Queensland’s arts sector through the Live Performance Impact Fund and the final round of the Live Music Support Program.

The Live Performance Impact Fund (LPIF) offered up to $20,000 for costs associated with cancellations and to implement COVID health and safety measures at dedicated live performance venues between 13th December 2021 to 26th February 2022, while the Live Music Support Program was targeted to indoor live music venues to offset revenue losses from 1st October 2021 to 31st December 2021.”

Queensland Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch notes “the funding would support Queensland venues from The Met in Toowoomba to the Woolly Mammoth in Brisbane, and Solbar on the Sunshine Coast to HOTA Home of the Arts, Surfers Paradise, and Eatons Hill Hotel & Function Centre. 

“In total 37 recipients have now been supported through the Live Performance Impact Fund and Live Music Support Program Rounds.”

Dead Puppet Society’s Executive Producer Nicholas Paine said The Wider Earth was due to have a large school audience attendance for its season at The Princess Theatre in Brisbane, ahead of a national tour.

“With the arrival of Omicron, the majority of our school sales were cancelled overnight, representing a huge impact to our major project and posing a real threat to the viability of our small company,” Paine said 

“Thankfully the Live Performance Impact Fund has been able to assist with covering our losses so that we can continue to make high quality work for Queensland audiences.”

The Met Hotel Owner Kosta Theodosis shared “we’re blown away and extremely grateful to be a recipient of the Live Music Support Program funding.

“It’s a much welcome benefit in helping us to continue to keep the doors open and bring great live music to our region.”

Minister Enoch said these latest funding outcomes acknowledges the important role live performance venues play in incubating new Queensland talent and creating employment opportunities for artists and musicians, technicians and other creatives within the broader industry.

“This investment also ensures that Queenslanders and visitors to our state can continue to enjoy rich and vibrant arts experiences at our live music and performance venues,” the Minister said.

“It’s great to see these venues start to turn a corner after a difficult period of uncertainty due to COVID related cancellations and programming challenges.”

Minister Enoch said these are outcomes of the $22.5 million Arts and Cultural Recovery Package and the additional $7 million announced in the 2021-22 State Budget for the state’s live music industry.

For more information, go to: www.arts.qld.gov.au/funding

Image: The Met Hotel Toowoomba via Facebook 

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