Industrial Strength: Number crunching with NSW arts; Slow start for Empire in Australia; ENTECH sold back to founder; Cultural hubs for Gold Coast, Newcastle

Number crunching with NSW arts

Some interesting figures came out of the NSW Government’s arts policy Create in NSW: The NSW Arts & Cultural Policy Framework.

* The NSW Government invests over $300 million every year in direct support of arts and culture throughout the state.

* 2 million attend the major NSW arts festival a year.

* 9 out of 10 NSW residents take part in the arts a year.

* Almost $4.8 billion in business income is generated by NSW’s arts and cultural industries.

* Cultural and creative activity contribute $86 billion to Australia’s GDP.

* 40% of Australia’s total creative industry’s workforce live in NSW, and 59.3% of Australians employed in screen production are based in NSW.

* The paper cited The Sapphires as “a model of Australian screen content development.” The production injected over $7.7 million into the NSW economy and created more than 546 jobs for cast and crew. It grossed $20 million worldwide and was the biggest Australian film of 2012.

In the run-up to the March 28 NSW elections, the Government unveiled plans to make Sydney the cultural hub of the Asia Pacific. Of a $600 million Arts and Cultural Infrastructure Fund to be created, $202 million will go to upgrading the Opera House (including the facilities and acoustics of its Concert Hall).

There are also plans for arts precincts in Walsh Bay and Western Sydney. Despite one third of the city’s population living there, the West gets 5.5% of state arts funding and 1% of Federal funding. Plans are to move the inner city Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta at a cost of $10 million with a further $7.5 million doe support artists and organisations based there.

Festivals: Inca Roads cancelled, Cairns Ukulele takes breather

Victoria’s Inca Roads Festival, March 20 to 22, pulled the plug. Organisers admitted, "We have not received enough interest from membership sales for the 2015 festival or the not-for-profit organisation to continue into the future.”

Cairns Ukulele Festival will take a breather in 2015 to give its small group of organisers time off after five years, and return next year with fresh strategies.

ACCC green-lights two mergers

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced it will not oppose the Fairfax Radio-Macquarie Radio merger, or the Seven network buying a 50% stake in SVOD service Presto and putting its programming into the Foxtel streaming service from this year.

Other events hit by wild storms

Aside from Soundwave and Good Life being stopped by wild weather in Sydney – as reported by TMN yesterday – other events also had problems.

The Eagles at Hanging Rock in Victoria were mid-song through Tequila Sunset when the heavens opened, sending everyone scurrying for cover. Winds of 100 km/h loosened a large screen. After rain subsidised 45 minutes later, they returned with One Of These Nights and played until 11 pm.

In Perth, some acts flying in for Future Music were delayed because of the weather but organisers said the festival was incident-free.

Spotify pilots Instagram campaign for young music fans

To raise brand awareness with the 15 to 24 demographic, Spotify Australia launched its first Instagram campaign. The five-series campaign focused on emotional moments connected to music. “While particular artists may be polarising, we know music experiences are unifying,” Serena Leith, Spotify’s Marketing Director A/NZ pointed out.

ENTECH sold back to founder

Entertainment technology and installation show Entech was sold back to its founder Julius Grafton of CX Network by ETF. The planned event in July this year is cancelled. CX Network has renamed its CX Summer Roadshow as CX Presents Entech Roadshow to stage next February. CX also launched a new roadshow ICTech for the information and communications technology market for October 2016, naming Jason Allen as Director.

Venues update

Melbourne’s Liberty Social, which puts on live acts, DJs and exhibits, closes end of March as Tomassetti House, where it is situated, changed hands.

The Crown Hotel in Sydney’s Revesby, which showcases live acts on Thursdays, was bought by Redcape Hotel Group for a reported $30 million.

Melbourne tennis venue Margaret Court Arena continues to expand its audience reach with music fans. After piloting live shows last year as a mid-size music venue, Melbourne & Olympic Parks Director of Commercial and Strategy Greg George confirmed live shows are now permanent. It will cater for major and emerging local acts (the 6,500 capacity area can be downsized) and “provide a more intimate option for the broader touring market."

Cool Country broadcasts goes dark

Western Sydney narrowcaster AM1476, operating as Cool Country 2KA suddenly ceased broadcasting after 15 years ago. No reason given, but it was apparently sold to an Indian language broadcaster. Cool Country is still streaming online and on a soon-to-be-launched app.

Cold Chisel bring SA Hall of Fame inductee numbers to 45

The induction of five Cold Chisel members into the South Australian Hall of Fame on the weekend took the number of those honoured to 45. Jimmy Barnes was the 41th inductee, Ian Moss the 42nd, Don Walker the 43rd, Phil Small the 44th and the late Steve Prestwich the 45th. They join the likes of Barnes’ brother John Swan, John and Rick Brewster of The Angels, John Schumann, Ruby Hunter, Jim Keays, Orianthi, Glenn Shorrock, radio exec David Day and producer Mick Wordley.

The Chisel induction was held trackside at Adelaide’s annual V8 Supercars 500 Clipsal race, which drew 285,000 over four days (its third largest attendance) and injected $60 million into the South Australian economy. Chisel’s headlining performance drew 96,000. Prestwich’s award was accepted by his brother, Tim who played on the bill in his band.100 Proof.

Slow start for Empire in Australia

After US series Empire, based around mogul Lucious Lyon of Empire Entertainment, enjoyed huge ratings in America (15 million some nights), Network Ten quickly moved it from its digital network Eleven to the main channel. But its premiere on Sunday night in the 9pm timeslot only drew a metro audience of 377,000. It ranked #18th on the night.

Vale

John Hemmes, patriarch of nightclub and hospitality empire Merivale, who passed at 83 after a long battle with multiple myeloma. Starting Merivale out as a fashion and clothes design house, he shifted to clubs as Hotel CBD, Slip Inn and Ivy and brought his children Bettina and Justin into the firm.

Quickflix revenue up, doubles losses

Despite growing its revenue to $9.2 million last year from $8.6 million in 2013, its half-year loss rose from $8.6 million from $4.2 million the year before due to a blow out of marketing and operation costs. Subscriber levels dropped by 5% from 122,862 in June 2014 to 117,106 by the end of the year despite its offering of selected current TV and film titles for a $10 fee. Quickflix has lost a total of nearly $61million since setting up in 2004 initially as a DVD rental.

Cultural hubs for Gold Coast, Newcastle

The $37.5M redevelopment of Gold Coast Cultural Precinct in Evandale, set for a 2018 opening, will include a performance venue (the planned amphitheater with enclosed stage has been dropped) and an arts hotel.

The Newcastle Community Arts Centre submitted a proposal to turn the city’s abandoned railway station into a cultural and creative hub. It would have galleries, offices for music and arts organisations, art and design studios, with the platforms used for workshops and markets.

Lindy Morrison, triple j, lauded at Rolling Stone awards

Rolling Stone Australia lauded Lindy Morrison for her contribution to pop culture at its Awards, while triple j got a Milestone gong for its 40th. Held at Byron Kennedy Hal in Sydney, other winners voted for by 30 media, were Sia’s 1000 Forms Of Fear (album), Melbourne MC Remi (independent release for Raw X Infinity), The Griswolds (single, for ‘Beware The Dog’ voted for by Stone readers), The Delta Riggs (live act) and Tkay Maidza (new talent). MAX’s Chit Chat hosted, Ecca Vandal and Steve Smyth performed while Delta Riggs did a DJ set of hard rock classics. Each award was created by a Royal Doulton’s street artist Nick Walker.

And a few more things…

* Nova Entertainment Group CD Paul Jackson and partner Emily Symons are expecting.

* Country singer Adam Brand is moving to Townsville, and has put his Gold Coast beach pile of bricks on the market.

* LA based Adelaide guitarist Orianthi is in the studios with her beau, former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora.

* When Foo Fighters played Tasmania, one-time trapped miner Brant Webb, about whom they penned The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners, was provided with four tickets by the band. The show, at Derwent Entertainment Centre, was the band’s first visit to Tasmania since 1998, and set a new record for the venue when all 7,000 tickets went in 20 minutes.

* Queensland’s Elders Gladstone Country Music Festival had to reschedule when its venue, the Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre, was turned into an evacuation centre during Cyclone Marcia. The only weekend available was March 14 and 15 – the same weekend as the massive CMC Rocks Qld.

* Because of its merger with Fairfax Radio, Macquarie Radio Network will sell off 2CH in Sydney and 4LM in Mt Isa.

* The events firm which wanted a reported $40 fee from dancers auditioning for American R&B singer Ciara’s Australian tour will return the money.