Victoria’s music industry will be a major beneficiary after this weekend’s election win that was swept Dan Andrews to power as Premier of Victoria and will see Martin Foley installed as the Minister for Arts and Youth Affairs for the next four years.
Andrews and Foley have a clear vision of the value of contemporary music in Victoria as an industry and a complete understanding of its ability to generate revenue for the state and jobs for Victorians. “A Labor Government will support local acts every step of the way, because they create local jobs and they create something that lasts,” Mr Andrews said.
On November 3, Andrews and Foley also unveiled a $22.2 million package to boost the development of the local rock music industry and support local jobs.
Labor pledged a further $13.4 million to upgrade the heritage listed Palais Theatre on November 18 and on November 12 Mr Andrews revealed a $1.4 million funding package to bring music lessons to every school in Victoria.
Martin Foley sees the role of statement government to offer support and nurture creativity when it is of cultural benefit to the state. “It’s a rich ecology that you don’t have those big successful global achievers unless you have bubbling on underneath it a richly supported, culturally relevant and dynamic sector,” Martin Foley told Noise11.com. “That is what we have been famous for here in Victoria and Melbourne for many years, but it is something that has to be nurtured and something that has to be carefully fostered. There is a role for the state in that”.
The contemporary music industry at its top end is of major benefit to tourism, with international tours driving spending into the state economy. At the local artist sector of the industry, you have export potential. “What you have at that top level is a vibrant series of events but they are driven by making sure that those emerging bands, those emerging young people, those emerging cross media forms of music and presentation are nurtured, developed and given every chance of success and that is a role for the state government to come in,” Martin said.
The Andrews Labor Government will also work at school level to bring music education to students across Victoria. “Exposure to music education means better grades, better results and better attendance – it’s a proven link,” Dan Andrews said. “Kids love music and I want them to enjoy it at school too.”
