LIVE MUSIC FUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Click here to learn the latest 2021 updates on the Cultural Funding Review: Arts, Heritage, Music.

August 2021

Please add your comments about the proposed guidelines to the Comment Box

Music Commission Meeting, Monday, August 2: This regular Music Commission meeting included a presentation on responses to community feedback on proposed guidelines for the Live Music Fund Event Program:

• Watch the August 2, 2021 Music Commission Meeting.
• See the August 2, 2021, Music Commission presentation for the Live Music Fund Event Program Community Feedback Responses (462KB)

July 2021

Music Commission Meeting, Monday, July 12: This regular Music Commission meeting included a presentation on proposed guidelines for the Live Music Fund Event Program to gather community feedback:

• Watch the July 12, 2021, Music Commission meeting.
• See the July 12, 2021, Music Commission presentation for the Live Music Fund Event Program proposed guidelines (849KB)

June 2021

MJR Partners Interim Report: The Interim Report by MJR Partners captures work so far on the Cultural Funding Review, including stakeholder input, analysis, and recommendations for program development and improvements: Cultural Funding Review Interim Report _ June 2021.pdf

December 2020

12/12: Building an Equitable Cultural Funding Review: Arts, Heritage, Music (MTG 2) Convened a virtual community update introducing new and updated program concepts for the Department’s Cultural Funding Program. We gathered questions and community feedback on the presented concepts, which will be addressed in future meetings and website updates.

• View a recording of this session here.
• Access a copy of the slide deck in English here.
• Spanish translations coming soon. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request - including translation and interpretation services. For assistance, please contact the Economic Development Department at 512-974-7819 or Relay Texas 7-1-1.

October 2020

10/19: The Music Commission received and discussed the Live Music Fund Working Group Recommendations (view the meeting at https://austintx.new.swagit.com/videos/87328).

10/15: The Live Music Fund Working Group met for the final time to discuss and finalize their recommendations to the Music Commission.

10/7: Building an Equitable Cultural Funding Review: Arts, Heritage, Music (MTG 1), a community virtual event for all creatives in Austin.

• View a recording of this session here.

• Access a copy of the slide deck here.

September 2020

9/18: The Music Commission received and discussed a presentation from EDD on the Cultural Funding Review Process: Arts, Heritage, Music, the inter-divisional process within the department to establish new guidelines for all Cultural Funding Programs funded through Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenues from Austin's hotel and convention industries (watch the Music Commission meeting here).

Summer 2019 - Summer 2020

In partnership with MJR Partners, the City of Austin Economic Development Department is reimagining its Cultural Funding Program for arts, heritage, and music with an intentional focus on equity and inclusion, while more effectively promoting tourism to Austin, as well as the city’s convention and hotel industries. The Cultural Funding Program is funded through Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) proceeds from Austin’s convention and hotel industries.

EDD's Cultural Funding Program includes the following universal goals:

• Increase participation of communities of color in Austin’s music industry through education & training.
• Provide the activities necessary to promote access to capital and technical support for increasing venue ownership and organizational leadership.

Who does the Cultural Funding Review impact?

• Creative individuals, community groups, and organizations interested in pursuing project or organizational support through the City’s cultural funding programs.
• Tourists and residents that have an interest in the activities cultural funding programs support.
• Cultural groups, legacy businesses, and organizations working on community-centered cultural, heritage, and historic preservation projects.
• Performing musicians, live music venues, and music industry businesses that produce events.

For more information about the divisions coordinating the Cultural Funding Review, please visit the following pages:

• Cultural Funding Review Process webpage
• Music & Entertainment Division
• Heritage Tourism Division
• Cultural Arts Division

BACKGROUND

The Live Music Fund, established by City Ordinance No. 20190919-149 on September 19, 2019, is based on recommendations from 2017’s Visitor Task Force's Final Report.

City Staff is coordinating community engagement efforts with the Austin Music Commission’s Live Music Fund Working Group, which is comprised of Music Commissioners and representatives of Austin’s Music community who were nominated during the Commission’s regular November 2019 meeting. City Staff and the Working Group are working together to gather and organize feedback on community priorities.

Live Music Fund Working Group:

Charles “Nook” Turner Byrd, Jump On It
Cris Flores, LORO Management
Gavin Garcia, Music Commission
Robert Kelley, Blue Mist Band
Aaron “Fresh” Knight, KUTX
Johnathan “Chaka” Mahone, Music Commission
Anne-Charlotte Patterson, Music Commission
Patrice Pike, Music Commission
Rebecca Reynolds, Music Venue Alliance
Nakia Reynoso, Austin Texas Musicians
Frank Rodriguez, EQ Austin
Taylor Wallace, KUTX
Catlin Whitington, Long Center

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact Michelle McLaren at 512-974-9053 or Relay Texas 7-1-1