10:48:00 AM
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I am delighted to announce that five arts and cultural organisations which support and nurture talented young Australians have received funding to continue their great work.
Independent broadcaster FBi radio in Sydney has been allocated $61,000 to extend their existing Northern Lights competition to a national competition that will select one solo artist and one band to represent Australia at the Iceland Airwaves Festival in Reykjavik in November 2014. The festival is a great opportunity to showcase young Australian artists in front of a global audience, international record labels and music festival bookers. I am particularly pleased to support this initiative because it demonstrates again the value of government successfully leveraging pre-existing philanthropic support to achieve greater outcomes.
Queensland Youth Orchestras will receive $50,000 to support its extensive program of concerts. The Queensland Youth Orchestras are world-class, and this funding will help the seven orchestras and ensembles and its 470 musicians to continue their musical development and gain valuable experience in live performance.
With funding of $100,000, ArtsLink Queensland will continue to hold its MAD camp in September 2014. ArtsLink does a terrific job inspiring young Queenslanders. The MAD Camp brings together students in Years 10, 11 and 12 for a week-long, multi-arts intensive residency program. The funding will also assist ArtLink continue to deliver its Animating Spaces initiative which helps regional communities develop local arts activities and events.
Hobart Baroque classical musical festival has received $100,000 to showcase the talent of emerging young classical musicians at the 2015 festival. Established in 2013, Hobart Baroque has emerged as a successful international platform for classical musicians on the cusp of their career.
With funding of $60,000 youth opera company Pacific Opera will launch a pilot training program in 2015 that will equip young opera singers to pursue a professional opera career. Students will be taught by industry experts, and will apply these skills to a professionally produced performance of Leoš Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen.
The Australian Government is proud to support these organisations because they give young people the opportunity to be creative and to learn new skills with the support and encouragement of experienced professional artists and arts workers.
