More than half a million dollars has been added to the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) kitty to offer emerging musicians the opportunity to learn from the best in the business through masterclasses, outreach tours and workshops.
The Southern Hemisphere’s largest festival dedicated to chamber music, held annually in Townsville, has secured $525,000 funding over four years from The Ian Potter Foundation.
The AFCM Pathways Program encompasses the AFCM International Masterclasses and AFCM Outreach Tour & Workshops, offering emerging musicians unique opportunities throughout the year and during the annual Festival period.
“This funding from The Ian Potter Foundation is a phenomenal vote of confidence in regional Australia, with a nationally significant initiative now solidifying its presence in Townsville-Gurambilbarra,” AFCM Executive Director, Ricardo Peach said.
“AFCM is beyond thrilled and excited. With The Ian Potter Foundation’s support, we will build an even stronger networking and capacity development component of this important Festival.”
The Ian Potter Foundation CEO Paul Conroy said that the AFCM initiative aligns with the Foundation’s goals to foster artistic excellence, innovation and regional engagement.
“We are delighted to support the AFCM as it leverages its 30 plus years of experience to foster industry connections and provide a program to address the gaps in high-level specialist production training and business development skills needed by emerging musicians to fully develop their careers,” he said.
Specifically, the grant will allow AFCM to:
- Increase the AFCM International Masterclasses’ impact, bringing Australia’s (and later the Indo-Pacific region’s) best emerging ensembles to Townsville during the Festival.
- Establish an AFCM Faculty of globally recognised industry experts and musicians, to provide professional development opportunities for the selected ensembles.
- Extend the reach of the AFCM Fellowship Ensemble (selected from the previous year’s AFCM International Masterclasses cohort) by adding concerts and high school workshops in towns such as Proserpine, Tully, Ayr, Charters Towers and Ingham, in addition to performances in the main Festival and other national/international events.
- Build an AFCM Online Teaching platform to link elite remote and regional high school music students with international and Australian instrumental teachers associated with AFCM, for year-long instrumental lessons.
ABOUT THE IAN POTTER FOUNDATION:
- It is one of Australia’s major philanthropic foundations.
- The Foundation makes grants nationally to support charitable organisations working to benefit the community across a wide range of sectors including:
- the arts
- medical research
- public health research
- early childhood development
- community wellbeing, and
- environmental science.
- The Foundation aims to support and promote a fair, healthy, sustainable and vibrant Australia.
