Sydney, Australia: Campbelltown Arts Centre (C-A-C) launches 'Conscious Elevate' a new initiative building upon the success of the Conscious program, developed in collaboration with Village Boy Entertainment and led by L-FRESH The LION. The suite of programs presented as part of this initiative is proudly funded by the NSW Government through Sound NSW and will support musicians and industry workers to sustain practice, level up skills and continue the positive trajectory of their career.
The initiative, which will run over the next 12 months, includes a keystone residency and mentorship program designed to empower emerging and mid-career First Nations musicians from the South-West Sydney region.
The First Nations Development Program is a first-of-its-kind program that supports a mid-career First Nations artist to undergo a paid 3-month residency program at Campbelltown Arts Centre and other locations and music industry facilities throughout the South-West and beyond. As part of this residency program, the mid-career artist will also be engaged to mentor a local young and emerging First Nations artist from the South-West Sydney region. This mentorship component allows for professional development opportunities in areas such as songwriting, recording, live performance and music business.
Campbelltown Arts Centre's commitment extends to bridging industry gaps by hosting other innovative programs such as Conscious Connects, a skills development event for emerging and mid-career musicians, and a brand-new Conscious Youth program, led by Conscious artistic director L-FRESH The LION, as well as engaging Conscious alumni artists and Conscious Collaborators to nurture diverse young participants from South-West Sydney.
Conscious Elevate initiative will see Campbelltown Arts Centre and the South-West Sydney region leading the development of the next generation and continuing to support the successful careers of Western Sydney musicians and practitioners. By facilitating skills development opportunities and fostering industry connectivity within the region's vibrant music landscape, the program addresses pressing industry needs and fosters a more inclusive and diverse music industry in Western Sydney, that is promoted and profiled locally, nationally and internationally.
Further program details to be announced.
"Campbelltown is a diverse and vibrant city, home to numerous creative communities, and we're eager to share this opportunity with those communities. We're proud to offer an initiative that not only invests in the next generation of talent, but further secures the future of arts, culture and creativity in Campbelltown." - Dr George Greiss, Mayor, Campbelltown City Council
"It can be tough building a career in the music industry, that's why the NSW Government is very keen to lend a hand to the up-and-coming musicians in South-West Sydney. We want to see Indigenous musicians take their talent to bigger and bigger stages. The First Nations residency and mentorship programs at Campbelltown Arts Centre will help them do that. These programs benefit the individual musicians, but they also benefit the whole community by bringing live music back across our local communities." - Minister for Music and the Night-Time Economy, John Graham
"Conscious has always been about building bridges. To continue in our mission of supporting sustainable careers for artists and arts industry workers from Western Sydney, we're excited to have this opportunity to expand the Conscious program. These new initiatives combined with what we've been delivering for the past 4+ years will continue the building of music industry pathways and infrastructure for generations to come for the benefit of our communities in the South-West and Western Sydney more generally." - L-FRESH The LION, Village Boy Entertainment & Conscious Artistic Director
"Building on the success of our Conscious Program, Campbelltown Arts Centre is thrilled to be providing more opportunities for young and emerging sound artists and performers, and excited to implement a First Nations music residency and mentorship program. These initiatives reflect our commitment to nurturing the vibrant cultural landscape of our community and providing platforms for artistic expression and development." - Mouna Zaylah, Director, Campbelltown Arts Centre
