More grants to support Victoria’s live performers

THE Victorian Government is providing more support for live performance events that have been cancelled due to latest COVID-19 restrictions.

The second round of the Live Performance Support program aims to help Victorian presenters and suppliers in the live performance industry who have been affected by event cancellations between May 27 and September 2 this year.

The program will provide funding of up to $12,000 for eligible event presenters and up to $4,000 for suppliers who had been contracted to work on events and have lost income or incurred costs.

Cancellations in the Geelong region as a result of the fifth and sixth lockdown include shows by The Sound Doctor Presents, which has cancelled Anglesea gigs by Kim Churchill and Liz Stringer and postponed a gig by Julia Jacklin to a later date.

The grants are open to those who work on and off stage, front of house and behind the scenes, across live performances such as music, theatre, opera, dance, comedy, and cabaret.

Victorian-based applicants who have lost scheduled work interstate are also eligible to apply.

Delivered through Business Victoria, the Live Performance Support Program has two streams:

• Presenters – for live performance event presenters, including producers, promoters, venue owners and artists who promote their own shows. Applicants can apply for either $7,000 or $5,000 for one event, and a further $5,000 for a second event, and
• Suppliers – for suppliers contracted to work on events, including performers, crew, technicians and engineers. Suppliers may be eligible for a grant of either $200 or $500 per event for up to 20 events. Suppliers do not need to be GST-registered.

The Live Performance Support Program is part of the government’s $20 million Victorian Events Support Package.

In the second round, the program has been updated in response to industry feedback and to assist a wider range of affected event businesses and workers.

“We know how much work and preparation goes into the staging of a live performance event and how many people are impacted when an event has to be cancelled – that is why we are providing this tailored support,” Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson said.

“Whether you work on stage or behind the scenes, if you have had an event cancelled during the recent lockdowns, I encourage you to apply for this second round of grants.

“We value our live performance sector and know that it has been an incredibly challenging period – so we listened to industry feedback and updated the guidelines to reach more people.”

Applications close on September 8.

For eligibility details and to apply, head to the Business Victoria website.