News Updates

Fiddlehead Festival a Success

The Fiddlehead Festival held on February 18 in Victoria has been deemed a huge success. The organisers say it's for the community to decide whether they want to hold the festival again in 2013. Read the story on ABC Gippsland

Cultural Policy in Singapore

Singapore has had a strategic review of Arts & Culture. The Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR) Steering Committee says its vision for 2025 is for Singapore to be a nation of cultured and gracious people, at home with our heritage, and proud of our Singaporean identity.

This is what they have to say about "Promoting Engagement and Excellence"

Promoting active participation in arts and culture: The ACSR recommends greater support for potential arts and culture participants, hobbyists and enthusiasts, to make arts and culture more accessible and easily interwoven into daily life. This includes enhancing our people’s ability to appreciate arts and culture; affordable and convenient venues for practice and showcase purposes; platforms to network enthusiasts with one another; and greater support for community interest groups (e.g. through start-up grants, starter toolkits, workshops and partnerships with instructors).

That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

Read more about the review and its recommendations here.

Community Relevance Research

As a part of the artistic vibrancy program, the Australia Council has announced a new research project looking at community relevance in Australia's performing arts sector.

What is the community relevance project?

The community relevance project aims to explore and demonstrate the relevance of the performing arts to today's communities.

To find out where the idea for this project came from, and exactly what we're aiming to do, read the project background and objectives.

NAMM Awarded for Supporting Lifelong Learning

On January 20, 2012, The International Society for Music Education (ISME) gave the inaugural ISME Global Sonar Award to the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and the NAMM Foundation for invaluable support to ongoing efforts to understand, celebrate and promote music learning across the lifespan during the SupportMusic Coalition international webcast at the 2012 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. Read the article on ISME's website

NAMM supported the inaugural Music in Communities Awards, which has since gone on to become a key part of the Music in Communities Network and an important national award which recognises exemplary work in community music across Australia. Thanks NAMM and congratulations on the award.

Click here to read more about the NAMM Foundation.

Click here to read more about the most recent of our Music in Communities Awards.

Australia Day Honours 2012

Congratulations to everyone listed on the Australia Day Honours list this year, particularly those making a difference in their musical community.

Among them are Mr John Graham CHRISTMASS (WA), recognised for his service to Music Education in Western Australia, and to choral performance. As well as his years of work as an educator he established The New I Voci Singers, Northam Bel Canto Singers, Northam Choral Society, Western Australian Secondary Schools' Choral Festival, and has been involved in many other musical activities in schools and the community. Another great contributor to community choral music, Mrs Shirley Edith GREEN (QLD), has also been recognised for her years of involvement with the Yeppoon Choral Society, since 1965, including her roles as founding member, Musical Director, President and now a Life Member.