The ‘Live and Local’ music program Homemade Jam continues in 2022 with opportunities for musicians, venues and the Mount Gambier community to participate in and have a say about the current state of live music locally.
Mount Gambier City Council’s Live Music Project Officer Monica Hart said the program would also explore creative ways to engage audiences and musicians within the live music scene.
“Homemade Jam kicks off this year with a call out to the community to take part in an important survey that seeks to gather feedback and information to ensure the tradition of great live music continues in the city,” she said.
“Live and Local is a tried and tested model developed by the Live Music Office in NSW, that seeks to support the growth of venue-based live music, in partnership with local government and key state live music stakeholders.”
Ms Hart said Mount Gambier was the first community in regional South Australia to host the Live and Local program, featuring a range of unique performance and professional development opportunities for the live music community. The 2021 program culminated with local musicians performing in unusual spaces in the CBD as part of the Homemade Jam Micro Music Festival.
“The Homemade Jam Micro Music Festival sessions were a great success and shoppers were surprised and excited to encounter musicians playing in spaces such as the Lifeline Op Shop and Spot On Fishing Tackle on a Saturday morning,” she said.
“The next stage of the project invites input from music industry stakeholders, as well as the general public, to provide thoughts and ideas on how to support a strong live music scene in Mount Gambier into the future.
“From the Night Owls Orchestra in 1934 to Chelsea Manor in 2022, Mount Gambier has always enjoyed a rich culture of live music. These days, influences such as the pandemic, regulatory bodies and the inception of online recording and music streaming has, to a degree, impacted the way we experience music so we want to hear from the community about the various factors impacting live music experiences locally.”
Ms Hart said a dedicated professional development program presented by music industry professionals from Music SA and APRA AMCOS on topics that empower musicians, business owners and curators to grow their business, performance and event skills would take place on March 5 and at The Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre.
“Homemade Jam will then provide an opportunity for the local community to come together through an industry forum to canvas opportunities, challenges and strategies to further develop the local industry,” she said.
“The feedback gathered from the discussions will be used to inform a Live Music Action Plan for Mount Gambier.
“The industry round table will take place on the evening of Tuesday March 8, 2022 where we will ask local industry stakeholders to consider what does a thriving live music scene look like and how do we realistically achieve that vision.”
