Australians overwhelmingly concerned for COVID-hit music community: Report

Australia’s music community has been crippled by the pandemic. The industry knows it, artists know it, and, based on the findings of a new report, most Australians know it.

New researched conducted by retail property group Vicinity Centre has found four-in-every-five Australians believe the creative industry has been hit hard by COVID-19.

The study, orchestrated by Pure Profile in November, based on a sample of over 2,500 residents, found that most Aussies have a sympathetic ear to the music community and that business should do more to help.

Among the takeaways, some 95% of respondents say music positively impacts their lives.

Also, three-out-of-four of those interviewed for the survey agreed that more public spaces should be offered to musicians and entertainers to perform, and almost two-thirds of respondents believe corporations and businesses should do more to support the creative industries.

Those performance spaces include local shopping centres, which 80% of respondents said they’d like to see more involved with supporting the local community.

Meanwhile, more than 60% of participants said they’d like to do more to support the creative industry, and more than half (51.3%) would like to make a small donation to support musicians and entertainers if it was easier to do so in their everyday life.

Sarah McLeod

Vicinity is running with that data. As part of its National Spotlight Series, the group has booked Mahalia Barnes, Prinnie Stevens, Reece Mastin, and Sarah McLeod for performances at its sites around the country, from next week until late January.

“Music is such a powerful way to bring people together and reconnect on a human and creative level after what has been a difficult time for retail, hospitality, music and the arts over the past couple of years. That’s why we believe our shopping centres is the perfect platform for the Spotlight Series,” comments David Henderson, Marketing Director of Vicinity Centres, in a statement.

Though the dark cloud of lockdowns still linger, and border closures remain a real threat, Australia’s concerts industry is planning for a bumper 2022.

Government at all levels will play a part in winding-back restrictions, and creating an environment for getting business done. 

Earlier this week, the Andrews Labor Government announced a $5 million initiated aimed at reactivating live music across the state of Victoria.

The likes of Baker Boy, Emma Donovan and The Putbacks, Isaiah Firebrace, Kaiit, Gordi and Music in Exile are locked in for On the Road Again, whose calendar is stuffed with more than 300 events across regional Victoria and outer-metropolitan Melbourne.

Seven industry organisations are on board to deliver events and programs, including the Australian Festivals Association, Multicultural Arts Victoria, Songlines and youth music initiative The Push.

Visit vmdo.com.au/ontheroadagain for more.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.