The Black Wreath, a record label, studio, and live music venue based in the Dead Centre of Australia – Ciccone, Northern Territory – has been saved by an incredible month-long fundraising campaign.
Earlier this year, The Music reported that The Black Wreath’s team had applied for a multi-year grant to secure the future of Blacken Open Air, while the company’s property had been publicly listed for sale.
“We are now at a crossroads. Our goal is to save The Black Wreath HQ and deliver Blacken Open Air alongside year-round events long into the future,” the team wrote. “We need to keep it accessible for the future of music in Central Australia.”
On 4 August, the team behind The Black Wreath launched a Pozible fundraiser to save the business, seeking 1,000 members to donate and help ahead of the final day – today – when a nationwide festival is being held to celebrate the organisation’s impact on the heavy music community.
The ultimate goal of reaching $1 million and saving The Black Wreath has been reached. The campaign received support from media, as well as bands including Karnivool and In Hearts Wake, plus all the performers at today’s nationwide festival.
Last week was Black Thursday, in which pledges doubled for one day. Another Black Thursday took place this week, when the figure rose to over $842,000. Yesterday, the campaign ticked over $1 million.
Taking to Instagram on Friday night (11 September), The Black Wreath said of the momentous achievement, “WE HAVE DONE IT! We’ve raised $1 million and saved The Black Wreath! What an amazing community achievement! Thank you to everyone around Australia who has carried this movement to this point. It’s absolutely historic! The level of support is overwhelming.”
With the fundraising goal met, The Black Wreath is now urging supporters to keep the momentum going to reach $1,111,111: “a tribute to the day The Black Wreath was born.”
They continued, “We have 36 hours left. While we have the momentum, let's keep it going. We can raise more money to invest directly into regional live music and arts! We can make this bigger and bigger! A bigger festival, a better venue, more artists supported! Every pledge from now until 10 PM Saturday will build opportunity for disadvantaged artists in the most isolated music scene on Earth!
“We've set the stretch goal at $1,111,111, a tribute to the day The Black Wreath was born! Thank you so much for creating this incredible moment in Australian music history with us!
“See you at BLACKEN FOREVER tomorrow! In your local venue or live-streamed around the globe at theblackwreath.com.”
The Black Wreath founder Pirate previously described the business as “a lifeline for remote artists, and the heart of the community.”
Pirate added, “As an aspiring musician growing up in the middle of Australia, opportunities were dismal. No rehearsal spaces, no venues and bands rarely toured here.
“The Black Wreath was created to change all of that. Over the last fifteen years, that’s exactly what we’ve done. It’s been a constant uphill battle against the obstacles of our location. We persevere because music changes lives and venues are the spaces where communities thrive.”
While it champions regional bands on a national scale, The Black Wreath has been instrumental in the careers of artists like Southeast Desert Metal, Mulga Bore Hard Rock, and many others.
“For remote bands, The Black Wreath is our home,” remarked Southeast Desert Metal’s Chris Wallace. “It’s the only place we can rehearse, record and share our stories. We’ve toured all over the country. That’s all thanks to The Black Wreath. We don’t wanna lose this space.”
