First Nations Artist Residency
About the Program
Melbourne International Jazz Festival and the Australian Art Orchestra respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our festival and activities take place, the people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, as well as to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the wider Melbourne community and beyond. We are honoured to contribute to the over 60,000 years of music making and storytelling that has taken place on this land.
Presented in a partnership between the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) and the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO), the First Nations Artist Residency Program is an artistic and professional development initiative that supports the career development of a First Nations musician with a practice in jazz, improvisation, singer-songwriter music, hip-hop, soul, or contemporary art music and its composition.
Applications are now open
Applications are open now for the 2024/25 First Nations Artist Residency Program, and close at 5pm AEST on Monday 5 August 2024.
The successful candidate will receive:
- A $5,000 commission fee to develop a new work, with mentoring from MIJF and AAO.
- Up to $5,000 for professional and artistic development opportunities, as negotiated with the AAO.
- A performance outcome at the 2025 Melbourne International Jazz Festival, including a separate performance fee.
- The option to participate in the AAO’s Creative Music Intensive, a 10-day annual residency held at Seacroft Estate along Great Ocean Road (VIC), including transport and accommodation.
- Producing support from MIJF staff to develop and present the work.
- Consultation session(s) with the AAO’s First Nations Artistic Advisory Circle (Kutcha Edwards, Brenda Gifford and David Arden).
- Ticketing package for MIJF 2024/5 and artistic/industry networking opportunities.
Who can apply?
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander musicians currently residing in Australia are eligible to apply. The program is open to a broad range of musical genres with the aim to support experimentation and improvisation within and across genres.
Click here to read more about the program and download the application pack.
Submit your application via our application form here.
Any questions? Please contact Tom Browne, Senior Producer & Programmer on tom@melbournejazz.com or Merinda Dias-Jayasinha, Festival & Programs Coordinator on merinda@melbournejazz.com or by calling (03) 9001 1388.
Program Alumni
The 2023/24 program leader is award-winning Noongar woman and Naarm-based vocalist and artist, Bumpy. Bumpy has just completed a 3-week trip to Noongar Boodja to connect with Country and language as part of her commission’s development, with the performance premiering at Arts Centre Melbourne as part of MIJF 2024. Read more about Bumpy here.
In 2022 the program leader was composer and Yuin woman, Brenda Gifford. Brenda presented her commission Moriya at the Melbourne Recital Centre, inspired by the migration of whales and their significance in stories of creation. The performance featured Brenda on saxophone, Reuben Lewis on trumpet and electronics, Aviva Endean on clarinets, Andrea Keller on piano, Helen Svoboda on bass, Joe Brown McLeod on didjeridoo/clapsticks, and Maria Moles on drums. You can read more about Brenda’s performance here.
The inaugural program leader in 2021 was award-winning musician, dancer, director and proud Djab Wurrung/Gunditj Mara and Ngarrindjeri man, Amos Roach. With support from the AAO, Amos composed Six Seasons, a suite of music which he premiered at the Melbourne Recital Centre during MIJF 2021. The work featured Amos on yidaki, Maria Moles on drums, Adrian Sherriff on trombone/shakuhachi, and Stephen Magnusson on guitar, as well as the Murrundaya Yepengna dancers.
