The Australian Labor Party has promised funding to beloved SA festival WOMADelaide ahead of this weekend’s election.
The ALP’s four-year program would assist in WOMAD’s cultural, sustainability and programming development, including the establishment of WOMAD Academy, which would connect “emerging Australian artists from diverse cultural backgrounds with major Australian and international industry mentors”.
In the past, The Cat Empire’s Felix Riebl and John Butler have both taken part in the initiative, helping emerging artists develop on and off-stage via a series of workshops across a 12-month period that ultimately led to a performance at WOMADelaide and one of three international WOMAD events.
"When we set up WOMAD in 1982 and WOMADelaide in 1993 the aim was to give all great artists, regardless of race, culture or creed the best possible stage to perform on, to let their art speak for itself,” WOMAD founder Peter Gabriel said.
“I’m therefore really excited about this initiative to extend that philosophy by creating the WOMAD Academy for the development and evolution of young musicians.
“This initiative will mean that we can assist and mentor young musicians from the most diverse backgrounds to bring their work to our stages, both at WOMADelaide and at WOMAD in the UK and at our other locations in New Zealand, Spain, Chile and others."
WOMADelaide returns to Botanic Park next March.
