Shapeshifter concert. Photo / File
Aotearoa’s live music scene has received a boost with funding for local artists to tour the motu extended until mid-2023.
Arts Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced at this week's Pacific Music Awards that the Aotearoa Touring Programme - which is part of the Covid recovery programme that aims to revitalise the cultural sector - will be extended until June 2023 to further support the recovery of Aotearoa’s music industry.
“We know the Aotearoa Touring Programme has been successful, supporting artists and household names like TEEKS, Drax Project, Nadia Reid, Stan Walker, Reb Fountain and Shapeshifter, which is why we’re extending it so more Kiwis can enjoy the best of home-grown talent and live music,” Sepuloni said in a statement.
The programme is a matched investment scheme, where artists can apply for 50 per cent of eligible costs for a New Zealand tour, according to the NZ Music Commission.
“We have heard from artists involved in the programme that this funding enabled them to tour when they would not have otherwise, employing more crew, reaching new fans and performing sold-out shows. Some of Aotearoa’s best contemporary and much-loved performers have been supported through the Programme and new artists have been building audiences around the country," the Arts Minister said.
The programme has supported more than 1,700 shows and over 250 artists to perform in 132 towns and cities across Aotearoa, said Sepuloni.