Innovate to Impact
Music education needs to be visible in the community and within our wider industry. If we look at sport - AFL in particular - and the way AusKick and sports academies provide for young footy stars, the same must happen for the Arts.
FMC will create, cultivate and support our Arts pathways and ensure that we have options in the community for all young people to pursue their goals and dreams.
We’re the heartbeat
Our community recognises how important arts, culture and music education is. The City of Maribyrnong and beyond boasts diverse talents, inspiring individuals and a strong desire to engage, connect, participate and empower in a sustainable and cohesive way.
Participating in music - learning, teaching, rehearsing, performing, creating, enjoying - fosters positive wellbeing, generates a sense of belonging, celebrates creativity and acts as the heartbeat for a thriving arts and culture community.
It’s time to innovate
We know communities benefit from access to music. We know that student musicians - particularly those who engage at a young age - build valuable capacities and transferable skills in order to thrive. We know that the economic boost of the wider industry is vital and that live music is built upon access to quality education.
Ask anyone who teaches, learns, creates, rehearses or performs music in the West and they can rattle off a bunch of ways it could be improved. There isn’t enough space, it’s only available to those who can afford it or it’s hard to feel connected or represented. School programs aren’t all equitable, and even if they were, no one has the time to properly cluster and collaborate. Community music ensembles are homeless, tertiary music pathways and the West, untethered. Many need specialised support and can’t find an inclusive place to engage.
The first of its kind in the state and inspired by a replicable and successful model, the Footscray Music Conservatorium would become a hub for the community. It would tackle all the issue areas - space, access, personnel, equipment, transparency, administration - and belong to the region. It’s no different to visiting your local library for a great new read, viewing art displays at a grassroots exhibition or hopping on and off public transport; it delivers a communal service.
Pearl - A founding student of the FPS Concert Band 2018
Let’s make a real impact
We have the chance to embed the infrastructure for thriving music pathways and secure a sustainable artistic and creative future for the City of Maribyrnong and beyond. Now is the best time to invest in this ideal and make it a reality - everyone should be able to access music, feel like they belong and have the opportunity to excel, enjoy and be empowered.
Let’s build something really special for the West, and make it happen together.