Adam Briggs Foundation Launches Grant To Help First Nations Artists Release Their Next Project

First Nations led not-for-profit organisation Adam Briggs Foundation has today announced Barpirdhila, a new grant initiative that provides assistance to First Nations artists who are working on a music project that has been effected by COVID-19.

To apply for the grant, the artist's project would already be underway and planned to be completed by the end of this year, with half of all the grants distributed to female identifying artists who are often under-represented.

The grants will be offered up to the amount of $10,000 to assist in financing third party costs, for example mixing and mastering, utilising a recording studio, recording a music video, hiring a publicist, making merchandise or creating album artworks.

The applicants will be judged by a panel of music industry figureheads including the charity's chair, founder and artist Briggs, alongside Birri Gubba / Ugarem producer, editor and curator, Emily Nicol, Sony Music Publishing Managing Director, Damian Trotter, award-winning Samoan-Australian journalist and ARIA Awards judge, Sosefina Fuamoli, and frontman of 8-piece funk and roots act The Deans of Soul, Linc Yow Yeh.

The chair of the foundation notes, "This is intended for artists who need that little push to get their project off the ground, or that extra bit of help to bring that project to fruition. A little bit of a hand can mean the difference between the world receiving a new voice and point of view or not.”

The Adam Briggs Foundation was formed to nurture development opportunities in creative industries for First Nations people with the objective of boosting representation of First Nations artists in the music sector. This visibility will provide greater outcomes for music programming with the inclusion of strong First Nations creative voices, and in turn contributing to culturally safe and welcoming environments. 

Applications are now open. Artists can find information here on the criteria for applying. Submissions close midnight AEST on August 1, 2022. Grant recipients will be announced on September 1, 2022.