The Australia Council has announced the latest recipients of $2.3 million in regional touring grants delivered through Playing Australia and the Contemporary Music Touring Program.

The programs support the growth of a national arts sector accessible to audiences across Australia.

The grants will support tours spanning music, theatre and dance to more than 350 locations nationally, with 63% of performances taking place in regional and remote communities.

The investment includes $2,176,449 delivered through Playing Australia grants to nine organisations including:

· Bendigo’s Arena Theatre Company to tour ROBOT SONG, a new musical for children that celebrates difference and giant singing robots.

· Artback NT’s tour of the perception experiment, a contemporary dance piece from GUTS Dance // Central Australia.

· Bangarra Dance Theatre to tour Bennelong to venues across regional WA and NSW.

· CDP Theatre Producers for a national tour of The 91 Storey Treehouse, a new play for children

· Country Arts (WA) for The Sand Tracks 2019 remote Indigenous Contemporary Music tour

· Monkey Baa Theatre Company for a tour of Sheena Knowles’ Edward the Emu to venues in every state and territory of Australia.

· Opera Australia for the 2021 regional tour of Carmen across QLD, NT, WA and NSW

· Regional Arts Victoria’s A Little Bit of Blue to tour to remote and outer regional locations in Tasmania.

· Sydney Dance Company’s 2020 Regional Tour premiere double bill

A further $161,788 is being invested through the Contemporary Music Touring Program, supporting:

· Tasmanian acts Cotton Pony and Alfanant to tour the east coast of Australia

· Dead City Ruins regional and metropolitan tour of Australia

· Sharni Honor for The Porch Sessions Tour featuring Jack The Fox, Harrison Storm & Alana Wilkinson

· Jessie Lloyd’s Mission Songs Project tour

· Mama Kin Spender’s The Sound of your Town regional tour of community hosted evenings in small halls with local choirs

· Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s national tour

· Graham Roger’s tour of country music to remote outback Queensland

· Nicolas Rossiter, taking The Southeast Desert Metal band from the remote community of Santa Teresa NT on national tour

· The Vampires’ tour to capital cities and regional locations

More information is available on the Australia Council website.