The Music Commission have announced the Aotearoa Touring Programme, with applications now open in two of the three planned funding tiers.

One of the significant initiatives within the Government’s NZ Music Recovery Fund, the Aotearoa Touring Programme is part of the Ministry of Culture & Heritage-led Arts & Culture Covid Recovery Programme, which is focused on the recovery, regeneration and revitalisation of the cultural sector.

ATP funding is aimed at supporting both emerging and established artists to undertake tours of Aotearoa, with a focus on projects which will take original, live local music to regions. (‘This Programme will invest in national touring costs, to enable more New Zealand artists to grow sustainable careers and increase the access to live music for local audiences.’) The idea is to help reinvigorate the live music sector and assist recovery from the effects of Covid-19 in the domestic touring market. 

It is a matched investment scheme, meaning artists (or their representatives) can apply for 50% of eligible costs for domestic tours, and is a contestable fund. Applications are now open for the first two lower value tiered funds.

The Tier 1 Fund allocates $1 million for NZ artists who perform original music in ‘lower capacity’ venues of up to 600 capacity. You can apply for a 50% contribution towards approved eligible costs and the funding will provide at least 100 grants for a maximum of $10,000 each between now and June 2022.

The Tier 2 Fund is a total of $2M which will provide for at least 40 grants of a maximum $50,000 each, over the same period. This is for artists whose tours include bigger venues (i.e. over 600 capacity). Applicants will need to have a track record of successful local touring and/or ‘a significant audience base’.

Tier 3 Fund applications will open later in 2020 for major scale events featuring original NZ artists. The $1M to be allocated must be invested between then and June 2021. For more information contact touring@nzmusic.org.nz.