South Australia launches Musitec to promote its music industry

The South Australian Government has launched its latest initiative to promote the state’s music industry – and is claiming it as a first for Australia.

Musitec is a non-profit cluster of music, technology and creative companies at St. Paul’s Creative Centre in Adelaide.

Based on a European manufacturing sector model, the idea behind Musitec is to create new opportunities and business models through collaborations and to find worldwide recognition through innovative schemes and ideas.

“An aspect of the strategy is to create a mindset among musicians to think globally and be open to collaborations with many fields, especially technology,” Musitec’s Managing Director David Grice told TMN. “Imagine coming together to create the next music platform, imagine coming together to create what music will sound like in ten years rather than following.”

SA Premier and Minister for the Arts Jay Weatherill, who officially launched Musitec last Saturday (September 13), told the gathering that Musitec was the latest to be adopted from the recommendation by Martin Elbourne’s Reverb report. This was released last November after a 12-month appraisal of how to revitalize and expand the South Australian music industry.

Elbourne, the UK-based promoter behind the Glastonbury and Great Escape festivals, was enlisted as the state’s music Thinker In Residence through the Dunstan Foundation. He made 49 recommendations, including audience development, trade and economic development and change in regulations

The South Australian Government has in the first 12 months, adopted some proposals. One was the key idea of the South Australian Contemporary Music Advisory Council being set up reporting directly to the Premier with the focus of increasing the size and value of the state’s music industry. This is being done with the Department of State Development.

Another was the Robert Stigwood Fellowship which last month announced five inaugural artists to be funding to expand their careers, and six industry practitioners to get mentored. The Fellowship, through the new Music Development Office, was part of Elbourne’s Friends of SA idea, where global business and technology executives with South Australian backgrounds, would nurture and inspire the next generation of talent. Half of Musitec’s board is made up of overseas entrepreneurs from the state.

It is believed that negotiations have also begun to change South Australia’s draconian liquor licensing laws to exempt the entertainment sector.