About the program

The Contemporary Music Touring Program (CMTP) supports national touring activity undertaken by Australian musicians performing original Australian contemporary music.

The tour must comprise of performances in at least three venues or locations outside of the performer’s hometown. Tours that include regional and remote destinations, or which assist performers residing in regional and remote areas to tour, are a priority for funding.

Grants are available from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the number of tour venues or locations in regional or remote areas.

If you think you will have difficulty submitting your application online, please contact Artists Services.

Who can apply

Individuals or organisations may apply to tour live music performances within Australia. Touring musicians must be performing original Australian contemporary music. Funding can be provided to performers, managers, agents, and music networks on behalf of professionals working in the Australian music industry. Applications must contain one tour only.

Who can’t apply

You can’t apply for a grant if:

• your tour does not involve the presentation of original Australian contemporary music
• you received a grant, or administered a grant, from Creative Australia in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted
• you owe money to Creative Australia.

What can you apply for

Under the Contemporary Music Touring Program, performances of original Australian contemporary music can include a wide range of different musical styles.

The tour must comprise of performances in at least three venues or locations outside of the performer’s hometown. Tours that include regional and remote destinations, or which assist performers residing in regional and remote areas to tour, are a priority for funding.

• If your itinerary contains only metropolitan performances, you may request up to $15,000.
• If your itinerary contains at least one regional or remote performance, you may request up to $25,000.
• If 75% of your itinerary is to remote and/or very remote locations, you may request up to $50,000.
• Please note: The minimum grant amount you can apply for is $5,000.

The Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) helps determine the regional and remote reach of the tour. To find out if you meet the ARIA rating to qualify for additional funding, begin a grant in our online system. When you get to the ‘Outline your project’ section, the system will automatically look up the ARIA code once you enter the details of the state, town and postcode of the location you are searching for. To assist in planning your tour, you can download the ARIA Code list from our website to search for the relevant ARIA codes. If you need help with your application, contact an Artists Services Officer.

Joint tours, where two or more independent performers are undertaking the same tour itinerary, are eligible under this program. These should be submitted as a single application. In such cases, the funding caps still apply.

You may apply for costs associated with the delivery of COVIDSafe touring. These may include costs such as additional cleaning costs within performance locations or for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure the safety of the touring party.

To take account of the changed touring environment during the COVID-19 pandemic we will consider applications which include a portion delivered via digital channels.

We encourage the inclusion of additional activities which extend opportunities for community participation, such as workshops, master classes and all-age performance. This activity must take account of appropriate COVIDSafe protocols.

What can’t you apply for

You can’t apply for:

• a tour to fewer than three venues or locations outside the performer’s hometown
• overseas tours
• tours by non-Australian performers
• tours which are primarily schools-based (except for applications seeking remote or very remote touring funds where the school is the primary venue in a remote or very remote location)
• a series of performances at a single location
• tours that do not involve the presentation of original Australian contemporary music.

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Therefore, budgets may also include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g., performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are an applicant with a disability, or are working with artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.

Protocols

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.

• Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, and provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.

• Commonwealth Child Safe Framework

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Peer Assessment

Applications to the Contemporary Music Touring Program will be assessed by a panel of peers drawn from the Music sector.

Peers will primarily refer to the information supplied in applications and support material to make their assessment. They may also consider their own engagement with the work, relevant professional experience, and advice from our staff.

Assessment Criteria

Peers will assess your application against the following three criteria:

• The calibre of the artists and arts workers involved and the quality of the music.

In assessing this criterion, the assessment panel may consider:

• the strength of the artistic support material provided
• the track record of the key artists involved, including their achievements, as evidenced by their biography and professional profile.

Contributions to development of Australian culture.

In assessing this criterion, the assessment panel may consider:

• proposed additional community activities included in the tour itinerary, such as workshops, master classes and/or all-age performances
• any partnerships or collaborations with local personnel or organisations in touring locations
• benefits provided through tour to people in touring locations (e.g. local emerging artists, audiences).
• regional extent of the proposed tour, as indicated by the geographical locations of the proposed itinerary.

Realistic budgeting and touring logistics

In assessing this criterion, the assessment panel may consider:

• how viable and achievable the project is (as evidenced by the budget, itinerary and planning)
• the quality of the marketing/audience development strategy, including evidence of demand in proposed locations
• the resources supporting the project (including financial and/or in-kind)
• the strength of the people, presenters and partners involved, including confirmations and their track record delivering similar tours
• appropriate COVIDSafe protocols in place for artists, venues or locations and audiences
• where relevant, evidence of an environmental impact plan which may include cost-benefits.