Western Australia has long been a breeding ground for musical exports and top notch brews, now local company Otherside Brewing Co. has combined both for the greater good, today announcing Tapped By Otherside – a cultural initiative helping Australian musicians take their music further.
The idea is simple. A toast of Otherside, is a toast in support of Australian musicians, with the company funding two significant grants each year.
Tapped By Otherside comprises of the Australian Touring Grant ($5,000) and the International Development Grant ($2,500), the latter was awarded to Fremantle group Koi Child in March to help the band travel to the SXSW in Texas.
“These funds were essential in getting us to SXSW and the US, giving us a platform to take our career to the next level,” Koi Child’s Shannon Cruz Patterson says.
“Touring is a fundamental tool in the continual development of a musician’s growth,” band manager Harris Waters (Koi Child, Black Panda) added.
The success of the inaugural grant to Koi Child, was the catalyst for Otherside Brewing Co. formalising its ongoing support of local music and opening the National Touring Grant.
“The ability to showcase original music and perform live to new audiences can generate multiple opportunities and experiences to assist in the development of an artist’s career,” Harris Waters said.
Otherside Brewing Co.’s Julian Tompkin added: “Having been a part of the music and culture business for many years, we recognise the decline in funding available to musicians in Australia,” he said.
“The biggest obstacle for emerging bands and artists today is the prohibitive cost of touring – which is now the most essential means in developing a viable music career. Otherside is committed to backing emerging talent and helping them to take their music to wider audiences.”
In its inaugural year, Tapped By Otherside is open exclusively to WA artists – however from 2018, as the size of the fund increases, the annual program plans to open to applications Australia-wide, with a vision to expand into other creative platforms.
The 2017 National Touring Grant for West Australian musicians (totalling $5,000) is now open – and will be awarded to an emerging or established group or solo artist to assist in the undertaking of a headline national tour across key Australian capital cities. Applications close COB (WA time) Friday, June 16, and will be appraised and awarded by a panel of music industry professionals.
The grant will also offer professional development opportunities with some of the country’s foremost music industry leaders – across a range of sectors.
About Otherside Brewing Co.
Otherside Brewing Co. was founded in late 2015 by the founders of Sunset Events – the team behind some of WA’s most iconic music festival brands – who set out to capture the quintessential music festival experience in a beer. In 2016 Otherside released its inaugural brew, The Festive Session Ale, and is developing a reputation as a progressive new arrival in WA beer circles. To learn more about Otherside Brewing Co.’s story and beers, head to othersidebrewing.com.au.
For full details on Tapped By Otherside and to apply for the Australian Touring Grant head to tappedbyotherside.com.
Entries close COB Friday, June 16, and the Grant Recipient will be announced on Friday, June 30.
