MusicNSW are proud to introduce you to our two latest staff members Michael Hutchings and Max Becker. Michael Hutchings is our new Indigenous Music Manager. He’ll be co ordinating the Whichway Indigenous music development program. Michael has been involved with the Indigenous arts community for many years mainly as a concert and event producer. Michaels

Blanket Public Liability Program Update To date we have over 60 expressions of interest in the Blanket Public Liability Program. Jane has met with our representative from AON who is collecting information to start getting quotes from underwriters. As soon as these come in Jane will be back in touch. Obviously the more bands we

Guitar Heroes: Guitar Fest Coming together in Sydney on the June Long Weekend 2006, is the Guitar Heroes: Guitar Fest, an exciting salute to the Guitar and Guitarists from all musical genres. Profiled Guitarists taking part include: Dom Turner (Backsliders), Bob Spencer (Angels), Steve Flack (Guitar Hereos), Lindsey Butler (Legends of Country), Phil Emmanuel plus

JB Seed announces categories for 2006 The JB Seed (a grants program funded by John Butler, fellow artists and associates) have just announced their grant categories for 2006 and are now accepting expression’s of interest. The Expression of interest form is now available for download on their application page on the JB Seed website.

Successful NSW Ozco Buzz Applicants Also Congratulations to the successful NSW Ozco Buzz Applicants. These groups/artists include: Belladonna DIY Collective, Byrce Jacobs, Fret Industries, Macomantics, Tahlia Petrosian, Syd Yama Sarshar and Alies Sluiter. If you are under 26 and a musician or arts worker it’s definitely worth your while applying. Next closing date is 1st

NSW Artists Showcasing at SxSW Congratulations to the NSW artists: Sarah Blasko, Bluebottle Kiss, Dappled Cities Fly, Decoder Ring, Lovetones, The Mess Hall, The Morning After Girls, Presets, Wolfmother and Youthgroup, selected for showcasing at SXSW in Austin Texas, USA. These NSW artists will be joined by 31 other Australian artists at SXSW. Further information

Indent, a project of MusicNSW, is proud to announce the 2006 Partnership Grant recipients. The 44 groups funded demonstrated outstanding event proposals for youth-driven entertainment in their communities. “Essentially the Partnership Grants enable young people to engage and deliver their own entertainment programs whilst developing invaluable organisational and social skills in a safe drug and

MusicNSW will be creating a working party in the new year to continue addressing the Issues Paper, which came out of the Vanishing Acts Report. Some recent inroads have been made to the Liquor Licence Act, at this stage looking postive for musicians, The working party will continue pushing for positive change in relation to

MusicNSW is exploring with AON the possibility of establishing a Blanket Public Liability Program for NSW bands and solo artists. The aim of this program is to provide attainable cost effective public liability insurance, through grouping a large number of bands under the one submission. At this stage we require an indication from bands and

Stephen Gray has left the GM position and been replaced by Millie Millgate as Director Creative and Jane Powles as Director Corporate. Jane and Millie together with the MusicNSW team plan for MusicNSW to become the new incubator, open and accessible for all musicians and all levels of industry to converge to perpetuate growth and