![Singer-songwriter Lucy Sugerman says she is stoked the ACT government is providing direct support to live music venues. Picture: Keegan Carroll Singer-songwriter Lucy Sugerman says she is stoked the ACT government is providing direct support to live music venues. Picture: Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/35sFyBanpD896MKnAH5FRtj/f6017d05-1469-4585-956d-bff369e8c71b.jpg/r0_367_5000_3189_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Canberra's live music venues will receive a helping hand to stage gigs later this year as they navigate ongoing capacity restrictions in the wake of the pandemic.
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Grants from a $750,000 ACT government fund will help cover music venues' costs between June and November, with the money expected to flow on to performers.
Arts Minister Tara Cheyne said the Amp It Up! fund would help live music venues stay viable and boost Canberra's night-time economy.
"We hope to see a whole new calendar of live gigs in Canberra during 2021, offering audiences a great opportunity to get along to a live music, comedy or poetry performance and safely enjoy live entertainment again at one of the many amazing venues across the ACT," Ms Cheyne said.
Venues with an annual turnover of less than $10 million can apply for grants to meet the total cost of engaging artists and technicians, and up to half of their marketing costs.
At least half the acts programmed by venues using the fund will need to be local.
Canberra singer-songwriter Lucy Sugerman said the extra support would be a great way to support the growing audience interest in local live music.
"I'm absolutely stoked to hear that the government is finally getting behind live music in the ACT in this way. I think we have a growing demand for it," Ms Sugerman said.
Ms Sugerman said live music had a chain reaction effect on budding musicians in Canberra, encouraging them to take up performing.
"There's so much amazing talent here. When you see someone do something you want to do, it really inspires you to do it," she said.
Ms Sugerman said without support for the territory's live music sector, the city would continue to lose more musicians to larger cities like Sydney and Melbourne.
"I love Canberra and I draw so much inspiration from this place and I have so many beautiful friends in and out of the music industry here. It's such a beautiful community," she said.
"We all go to each other's gigs. We all jam together and do stuff together. There's a huge Canberra pride in the Canberra music industry."
Music ACT director Daniel Ballantyne welcomed the funding announcement, which followed a model Music ACT had advocated for.
"It's a generous and exciting way to sustain the sector through difficult times," Mr Ballantyne said.
Mr Ballantyne said the live music sector was among the first to be struck down by coronavirus restrictions last year and would not fully recover until venues could return to full capacity.
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"I don't know a venue in the world that doesn't want more capacity even when they've got 100 per cent capacity. It never ends," Mr Ballantyne said.
Mr Ballantyne said direct support to venues would help them keep staging gigs while they contended with restricted capacities and limited touring shows.
"A direct cash intervention like this is obviously going to help to turn things around," he said.
Mr Ballantyne said he hoped the fund would allow more Canberrans to see what their local music scene had to offer.
"What we really want to see more of through this program is a combination of touring acts that are receiving the financial support the program offers as well as local acts, so Canberrans can get to see ... some of their local music venues," Mr Ballantyne said.
Venues will be able to apply for grants from the fund from next month.
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