The Australia Council for the Arts, Ceres Solutions and Performing Lines have joined forces to announce the New Music Touring Project - Sound Travellers - a two year project to facilitate and promote the national touring of sound art/electronica, new jazz/ improvisation and contemporary classical music.

This project is being managed as a partnership between established touring organisation Performing Lines and arts strategy company Ceres Solutions, with director Joanne Kee leading the project.

The intention of Sound Travellers is to bring these genres to a larger audience nationwide at the same time as securing assistance for existing artists across the country to further develop their practice.

Sound Travellers will:

• Support performance and presentational opportunities in a touring context
• Support and broaden existing touring networks
• Develop opportunities and new networks for the artforms
• Leverage the funding with other financial and in kind support
• Provide infrastructure support including marketing/publicity to enable skills growth within the sectors, which enables artistic and audience growth.

There will be two components to Sound Travellers. For artists there is a grant based program designed to assist Australian artists to tour nationally. Sound Travellers will also explore the options to both broaden and strengthen the national touring opportunities for these music genres.

An artistic advisory panel with specialists from each genre has been formed to make recommendations to the executive committee regarding the overall objectives of the project. This panel includes – Stephen Adam (ABC Classic FM), Professor Andy Arthurs (Queensland University of Technology), John Davis (Australian Music Centre), Ronny Ferella (Musician and co-director of Half Bent), Cat Hope (Sound Artist and Head of Composition and Music Technology - WAAPA, ECU), Adrian Jackson (Wangaratta Festival of Jazz) and Roland Peelman (AD - Song Company).

The call for applications for the first grant round will be announced in late November 2007. Guidelines for the grants will be available on the Sound Travellers website (www.soundtravellers.com.au) from early November 2007. Successful applicants will be advised in early 2008.

If you wish to discuss a project that has the potential to provide infrastructure/new opportunities or will strengthen touring networks or you would like more information about this project please contact:

Joanne Kee on 0414 973 095 or jkee@soundtravellers.com.au or

Performing Lines on 02 9319 0066 or info@soundtravellers.com.au

Background on Companies

Performing Lines develops, produces and tours contemporary Australian performance nationally and internationally - across genres including physical theatre, circus, dance, indigenous and intercultural arts, music theatre, hybrid work, and text-based theatre. Performing Lines also manages projects including Mobile States - touring contemporary performance and Tasmania Performs - an initiative of Arts Tasmania to encourage regional touring.
www.performinglines.org.au

Ceres Solutions focuses on working with small/medium sized arts organisations. Our philosophy is to empower with knowledge, networks and strategic planning as well as short term operational assistance.

Joanne Kee is the Director of Ceres Solutions. She has worked in the arts sector in both the UK and Australia for organizations such as the Arts Council of England, Sydney Opera House, Café Carnivale, The Song Company and Jazzgroove Association, as well as working with individual artists. Her track record includes producing concert series/performances and tours in Australia and overseas, strategic business development and implementing successful branding, audience development and fundraising strategies.
www.ceressolutions.com.au

FOR ALL MEDIA QUERIES PLEASE CONTACT JOANNE KEE ON 0414 973 095 – JKEE@SOUNDTRAVELLERS.COM.AU

www.soundtravellers.com.au