Tuesday, 27 May 2025

10,000 Gigs

Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (19:03): (1162) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Creative Industries, and the action I seek is to provide an update on how the 10,000 Gigs fund is supporting live music, musicians and venues in my electorate of Wendouree. The 10,000 Gigs Victorian Gig Fund supports venues to attract artists and provide more gigs to audience, with a particular focus on regional Victoria and outer-metropolitan Melbourne. Ballarat is a great place for live music, and we have many great venues that have hosted some huge artists. Last year we had St Vincent play at Her Majesty’s Theatre to an adoring audience, and I got to see a very loud Jack White at the Ballarat Civic Hall in front of a sellout crowd. We have also welcomed Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction and Amyl and the Sniffers at Kryal Castle; Post Malone, Dom Dolla, Lime Cordiale and Ocean Alley at Spilt Milk in 2023; not to mention the huge Cold Chisel Big Five-0 concert, with more than 25,000 at Victoria Park, with The Cruel Sea, Birds of Tokyo and The Superjesus.

From mega events to intimate venues, Ballarat has so much to offer as a live music destination, and that is why the 10,000 Gigs fund is so important. The 10,000 Gigs fund is a winner, because not only do musicians generate an income from performing live music but they also gain more experience from playing gigs and grow their audience base and their profile across Victoria. The 10,000 Gigs fund also supports a sustainable supply chain of live music to a wider range of audiences and allows more Victorians to see live music across the state.

Last year the 10,000 Gigs fund supported live music at Ballarat Trades Hall, Hop Temple Ballarat and Itinerant Spirits, and can I just say what great local venues they are.

Ballarat Trades Hall is not only home to Ballarat’s mighty union movement but a great venue to see live music. Thanks to a Creative Victoria grant in 2020, the hall received technical upgrades, including an industry-leading state-of-the-art studio and lighting system fitted into the space. Further grants have resulted in 160 new seats and tables being purchased to allow more flexibility for audience arrangements.

I want to give a shout-out to Itinerant Spirits, which is located at the historic Ballarat Goods Shed, for its commitment to showcasing local talent through its diverse line-up of live musical performances ranging from folk to funk. It is a great place to meet up with friends, have a drink and listen to live music.

Finally, Hop Temple serves up great beer, food and live acts. Over the last 10 years Hop Temple has supported local musicians and provided entertainment to around 35,000 patrons per year. The venue hosts around 150 live music events per year, and this provides ongoing employment opportunities to numerous local musicians. In addition, the venue also supports local production companies to supply AV equipment. I look forward to the minister’s response.