The Hon Rod Kemp was Minister for the Arts and Sport from Friday 23 November 2001 to Tuesday 30 January 2007. This site is available for archival purposes only.
Contemporary Australian music goes bush and beyond
The Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp, today announced support of $155,640 for 17 tours as part of the Australian Government’s Contemporary Music Touring Program.
“The Australian Government recognises the importance of supporting contemporary Australian music and has seen many benefits from having supported artists to venture beyond their usual touring circuits through the Program,” Senator Kemp said.
“We recognise the importance of providing opportunities to both artists and audiences, to support tours that might not otherwise happen, and I am very happy that the current round of funding includes tours to some very remote communities.”
The funded tours include:
- Four-piece country band The Red Hot Poker Dots to tour to 14 venues in South Australia and the Northern Territory, including Tennant Creek, Renner Springs, Daly Waters and Mataranka. The band will perform music from their newly released album to some of their most distant audiences;
- A tour by indigenous pop group Narbalek to remote venues including Jabiru and Gunbalanya;
- A tour by four piece pop band The Hands to 21 venues mostly in regional Western Australia to promote the release of the band’s debut album.
A full list of the latest round of grant recipients can be found here.
16 May 2005
Media contact: Michael Christo, Minister’s Office, 02 6277 7350 or 0407 040 276