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| Australian Festival Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Festival Association |
| Abbreviation | AFA |
| Formation | 2000s |
| Type | Non-profit industry body |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Region served | Australia |
Australian Festival Association is an industry body representing live music, contemporary arts, and cultural festivals across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and regional Australia. The association engages with stakeholders including event producers from Splendour in the Grass, Big Day Out, Woodford Folk Festival, Dark Mofo and Vivid Sydney to influence policy at forums such as the National Cultural Policy consultations and to interface with agencies like the Australia Council for the Arts and state arts ministries.
The association was formed amid sector consolidation influenced by events such as the rise of Laneways Festival, the transformation of Falls Festival, and the commercial shifts following mergers involving promoters like Live Nation and EMI Music Australia. Early activity intersected with debates around the Copyright Act 1968 amendments, venue safety following incidents at arenas like Estádio do Maracanã (international reference), and licensing disputes reminiscent of cases involving Sydney Opera House tenants. The group’s development tracked policy discussions at the Australia Council for the Arts and advocacy campaigns paralleling the work of organizations such as Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Music Victoria.
The association's stated mission aligns with objectives pursued by bodies including APRA AMCOS, Screen Producers Australia, Australian Performing Arts Market and Live Performance Australia: to support festival sustainability, artist welfare, and audience safety. Core activities reflect practice in alliances with festivals like Byron Bay Bluesfest, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Adelaide Fringe and MONA FOMA through professional development, research reports comparable to those produced by Creative Australia think tanks, and best-practice toolkits akin to resources from Venue Management Association and Arts Law Centre of Australia.
Membership includes promoters behind events such as Splendour in the Grass, curators from Dark Mofo, managers from WOMADelaide, and regional producers from Tamworth Country Music Festival and Canberra Multicultural Festival. Governance structures mirror models used by ArtsHub and Screen Producers Ireland with a board drawn from representatives of companies like Frontier Touring Company and collectives resembling Community Broadcasting Association of Australia affiliates. Committees have included advisors from institutions such as National Gallery of Australia, State Library of New South Wales, Victorian Department of Transport (venue logistics), and unions like Musicians' Union equivalents.
Programs have targeted capacity-building initiatives in partnership with festivals including Falls Festival, Bluesfest, Dark Mofo, Adelaide Fringe and Vivid Sydney, offering masterclasses similar to those at South by Southwest and exchanges comparable to UK Festival Congress. Annual summits convene stakeholders paralleling conferences hosted by AIM (Association of Independent Music) and International Festival Forum, while industry showcases have featured artists represented by agencies such as Chugg Entertainment, Selective Artists and technicians trained via schemes like those at TAFE NSW and Queensland Conservatorium.
The association has lobbied on venue capacity, insurance, and safety standards in contexts akin to disputes involving WorkSafe Victoria rulings, licensing frameworks from New South Wales Police Force regions, and public health guidance from agencies similar to Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. Campaigns addressed pandemic-era recovery measures comparable to interventions by Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and funding schemes echoing initiatives from Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund-type programs. Outcomes included coordination with regulators and sector bodies such as Live Performance Australia, Music Australia, APRA AMCOS and state arts departments.
Partnerships span collaborations with national institutions like the Australia Council for the Arts, corporate sponsors akin to Commonwealth Bank and Qantas partnerships, and philanthropic supporters following examples set by the Ian Potter Foundation and Besen Family Foundation. Funding sources combine membership fees, project grants from entities similar to Creative Victoria and Arts Queensland, and in-kind support from venue partners such as Sydney Opera House, regional councils like Byron Shire Council and service providers comparable to Ticketmaster and Eventbrite.
Category:Music organisations based in Australia Category:Arts organisations based in Australia