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24 April 2020

ABC's Fresh Start Fund to support local content, including music


ABC's Fresh Start Fund to support local content, including music

The ABC has launched a $5 million development fund to support independent Australian producers and safeguard local content and creativity across multiple genres, including drama, comedy, children's, factual, music and the arts. Out of the five production streams (see further down) of the Fresh Start Fund, of particular interest is the Australian Music Fund, which supports independent Australian artists and musicians across all ABC music networks, including by commissioning new works for ABC Classic and ABC Jazz.

The Children's Content Fund also has music commissions stated as one of its aims, and the rest of the production streams are also worth a look for artists, established or emerging, that have the interest, relevant skills and new ideas for developing arts content for various ABC platforms.

'"As Australia's biggest backer of local content, the ABC will provide whatever help possible within our means to shore up the viability of independent producers, who are struggling during this incredibly disruptive time', said Michael Carrington, ABC Director of Entertainment & Specialist content. 'The Fresh Start Fund will ramp up the development of original and outstanding Australian content to keep our production sector afloat during the COVID-19 restrictions. In times like this we all need to pull together and the ABC remains open for business in supporting Australian talent and stories.'

The funds to support this initiative have been identified by the ABC as a result of the business restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The five funding streams:

1. Enhanced Development & Production Fund - supports Australian production companies that have worked with the ABC or gained some industry recognition, across two areas:
a) Existing productions: supercharging development assistance to kickstart productions impacted by COVID-19 after the lifting of restrictions.
b) New concepts: supporting new stories in any genre about Australian culture and communities, particularly in new formats.

2. Innovation Fund - supports individual Australian creatives who may not have worked with the ABC previously. The Innovation Fund backs Australian talent with bold and innovative content ideas across multiple genres aimed at audiences under 55.

3. Arts Digital Fund - supports Australian creatives and production companies with innovative ideas for new arts content, particularly documentary storytelling.

4. Children's Content Fund - supports excellence in children's content across two areas:
a) Scripted/Factual: supporting production companies with current animation or live-action development or productions.
b) Music: commissioning new pieces of children's music from talented and prolific Australian musicians for ABC Kids Listen.

5. Australian Music Fund - supports independent Australian artists and musicians across all ABC music networks, including:
a) New music: commissioning new works for ABC Classic and ABC Jazz.
b) Music scholarships: supporting diverse emerging artists across multiple genres and themes, driven by triple j and triple j Unearthed.

Applications for the fund will open on 4 May, with the deadline of 12 June 2020.

> Full details: http://abc.net.au/freshstart



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