Vera Blue, Slum Sociable & More Pick Up Aus Council Grants

The Australia Council has dished up another round of grants to local musicians, with the likes of Slum Sociable, Vera Blue, Ngaiire and more named as recipients in the October round as they inject $5.8 million into the industry.

The latest announcement follows nearly $6 million being announced in September, with C.W. Stoneking, Julia Jacklin and more getting a cut, and the national arts body has once again backed a number of new projects from established and upcoming acts.

Among the 44 music allocations this round, Sydney-based singer-songwriter Vera Blue scored the most at $31,119, closely followed by Melbourne duo Slum Sociable and North Coast act Tralala Blip who took out $30,000 and $30,195 respectively, with The Murlocs ($24,800), Ngaiire ($21,285) and All Our Exes Live In Texas ($17,000) named among others.

The latest round of grants sees the highest number of successful multi-art form applications, too.

“We received 1,373 applications from across Australia, and the 128 peer assessors had another impressive group of diverse projects to assess in an increasingly competitive funding environment,” Australia Council for the Arts chief executive officer Tony Grybowski said.

“Multi-art form grant funding has hit a five-round high, all of which continue the trend in fostering diversity, strength and vibrancy of the arts across Australia.”

It was also a diverse round, with 19% of successful applicants based in regional or remote areas and more than half of funding going to female artists.

“The rigorous assessment process which underpins this program draws on the diverse experience and deep knowledge of expert peers from across the national arts sector,” Grybowski added.

Applications for the next round of Australia Council Grants close February 7 for projects starting after May 1.

Check out the Australia Council website for more info and a full list of October recipients.