CONTEMPORARY MUSIC TOURING PROGRAM

The Contemporary Music Touring Program (CMTP) supports national touring activity undertaken by Australian musicians performing original contemporary music. It provides travel support of up to $15,000 for artists and their manager for tours in Australia that include performances in regional and remote areas. Up to an additional $15,000 can be requested for tours that meet the conditions for remote and very remote touring (see below).

We do not accept applications submitted via post.Applications received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your application online,please contact thegrants team.

Closing dates

The Australia Council offers two grant rounds each year for the Contemporary Music Touring Program.

In2018, the grant rounds will close on:

  • Tuesday 6 Februaryforprojects starting after 1 May 2018
  • Tuesday 2 Octoberforprojects starting1 January2019

Each round closes at midnight on the closing date. Technical and administrative support will not be available after 5pm on the closing date.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date.

Who can apply

Funding on a tour by tour basis is available to enable professional musicians to tour live music performances within Australia. Touring musicians must be performing original Australian contemporary music. Funding can be provided to performers, managers, agents, and music networks on behalf of professionals working in the Australian music industry.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for a grant if:

  • you received a grant, or administered a grant, from the Australia Council in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted
  • you owe money to the Australia Council.

What can you apply for

Under the CMTP performances of original Australian contemporary music can include a wide range of different musical styles.

Applications must contain one tour only. The tour must comprise of performances in at least three venues outside of the performer’s hometown and must include at least one performance in a non-metropolitan area. Tours that include a majority of regional destinations or assist performers from regional areas are a priority for funding.

Where over 75% of your itinerary is to remote and/or very remote locations, you are entitled to request additional funding of up to $15,000, to a maximum total grant request of $30,000. The Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) helps determine the regional and remote reach of the tour. To find out if you meet the ARIA rating to qualify for additional funding, begin a grant in the Australia Council's online system. When you get to the 'Outline your project' section, the system will automatically look up the ARIA code once you enter the details of the state, town and postcode of the location you are searching for.To assist in planning your tour, you can download thisformto search for the relevant ARIA codes.If you need help with your application, contact a Grants Officernow.

Joint tours, where two or more independent performers are undertaking the same tour itinerary, are eligible under this program. These should be submitted as a single application. In such cases, the funding cap of $15,000 still applies (unless the tour is eligible for additional remote or very remote funding).

We encourage the inclusion of additional activities which extend opportunities for community participation, such as workshops, master classes and all-age performances.

What can't you apply for

You can’t apply for the following activity:

  • a tour to less than three venues
  • tours to metropolitan venues only
  • overseas tours or overseas performers
  • tours which are primarily school-based (except for applications seeking remote or very remote touring funds where the school is the primary venue in a remote or very remote location)
  • a series of performances at one festival
  • competitions, such as ‘Battle of the Bands’ events
  • attendance at conferences.

Peer assessment

Applications to the Contemporary Music Touring Program will be assessed by a panel of peers drawn from the Music sector.

Assessment criteria

Peers will assess your application against the following five criteria.

  • The calibre of the artists and arts workers involved and the quality of the music

In assessing this criterion, the assessment panel may consider:

  • the strength of the artistic support material provided
  • the track record the key artists involved, including their achievements, as evidenced by their biography and professional profile.
  • Contributions to development of Australian culture in regional Australia

In assessing this criterion, the assessment panel may consider:

  • proposed additional community activities included in the tour itinerary, such as workshops, master classes and/or all-age performances
  • any partnerships or collaborations with local personnel or organisations in touring locations
  • benefits provided through tour to people in touring locations (e.g. local emerging artists, audiences).
  • Regional extent of the proposed tour

In assessing this criterion, the assessment panel may consider:

  • the geographic locations of the proposed itinerary, including ARIA codes.
  • Realistic and logical budgeting and touring

In assessing this criterion, the assessment panel may consider:

  • how viable and achievable the project is (as evidenced by the budget and itinerary)
  • the quality of the marketing/audience development strategy, including evidence of demand in proposed locations.
  • Support received from other sources

In assessing this criterion, the assessment panel may consider:

  • the resources supporting the project (including financial and/or in-kind)
  • the strength of the people, presenters and partners involved (including confirmations).

Support material

We do not accept support materials submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online,please contact thegrants team.

Additional material can be submitted to help support your application. Peers will review support material to gain an understanding of the quality of your work, and where relevant, the skills and role of other artists or partners involved.

You can submit the following support material with your application:

1. Artistic support material

You can submit up tothreeURLs (a website link on the website) to written material, images, video or audio as a recent example of your work. Peers may review up to:

  • 10 pages of written material
  • 10 images
  • 10 mins of video or audio recording

To find out more about support material, including how to submit late confirmations after the closing date, and advice on how to get examples of your work onlineclick here.

In some circumstances we will accept support material in another format. Please contact staff for further advice.

2. Additional artist information

You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae summary of any additional artists involved in your project. All bios should be included as a single document and a maximum of two pages in total.

3. Letters of support

Where appropriate, you can include up to five letters from proposed participants in support of your project. All letters of support should be included as a single document and a maximum of five pages in total.