Creative Australia has announced the latest recipients of investment through national touring programs, Playing Australiaand the Contemporary Music Touring Program (CMTP) supporting artists and organisations to bring live performance to audiences across Australia.

The latest investment supports tours that will reach audiences of all ages, strengthening connections between artists, presenters and communities nationwide.

22 projects will be supported through the Contemporary Music Program, with a boost from Music Australia, enabling Australian musicians to take their original music to 87 locations nationwide.

Highlights include touring support for breakthrough contemporary music acts, major new commissioned works, and family favourites, with performances reaching regional venues, remote communities and young audiences across the country.

Executive Director of Arts Investment Alice Nash said:

“Touring is one of the most powerful ways we can connect communities with live performance. This investment will support artists and organisations to bring music, theatre and dance to audiences right across the country, including regional and remote locations, and help strengthen the networks that make touring possible.”

Through Playing Australia, touring performing arts organisations will deliver live performance, including theatre, circus and dance, to communities nationwide, including:

Shake & Stirnational tour of GRIMM Tales by the Brothers Grimm to 25 regional venuesNa Djinang Circus– the renowned First Nations Circus and Physical Theatre company will tour to remote locations. It will also partner with Flipside Circus on a training program.Monkey Baa’slandmark tour of the children’s classic ‘Where is the Green Sheep?’,reaching 39 communities across Australia.

Three additional organisations have also received funding through the Playing Australia Audience Development Program, a multiyear investment program for Playing Australia that focuses on audience development in regional and remote communities aligned with national touring activity.

The investment will support:

Theatre Royal Hobart(TAS) for TAS 28 – a networked audience development strategy for Tasmania’s Performing Arts Centres including Theatre North, Burnie Arts and the Paranaple Arts Centre.

CircuitWest(WA) to grow audiences for First Nations Performing Arts in Regional Western Australia

Central Coast Artsto support Audience Centred Touring – a national consortium of regional presenters to reimagine how touring connects to audiences at The Art House (NSW), Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre (WA). Orange Civic Theatre (NSW), Albany Entertainment Centre (WA), The Events Caloundra (QLD) and Pilbeam Theatre Rockhampton (QLD).

 A full list of recipients is available via the awarded grants list on our website.

This press release has also been published on VRITIMES