Independent art resources in Melbourne

This organisation's website shows all of the craft shows and expos that they are running right accross Australia. These events are useful for people to see what new wares suppliers are offering. They are also good for picking up info on any classes etc that are being offered.

This site could be of great interest to the crafty ones among us.

Eckersley's has monthly art classes and many more services to cater for the crafty persons needs. They also offer the latest promotional, product safety or company information online.

Craft Victoria is offering opportunities for emerging artists called Hatched and some mini festivals like White Box

Although this site is created overseas it is an interesting one.

This site has a month at a glance gig guide that can be added to but it is only as big as its user group. The gig information is supplied by the bands and musicians themselves rather than being a "managed" guide that supplies the gig info itself. its a bit like Gig Pig in that it is relying on its membership base to add flesh to the bone. On the Community tag there is an extensive bibliographic list of their blogs, Soulshine has a very large membership but I suspect that they are essentially music fans rather than musicians judging by the small amount of gigs. So the more musos the better, there are over 1000 members here already.

This site is associated with the Creative Commons and offers musicians an opportunity to share their unsigned songs with the world. You can sell the tracks through Sound Cloud or you can just distribute them to share with a genre specific audience or accross the entire range of music styles that are available to SC's members. Obviously the selling of tracks can be very beneficial but the distribution of your music via this site is a great way to promote your band or music to the world. Sound Cloud is a relatively new resource, it only sprung up last year and Nine Inch Nails were the first major band to try it out, see what they did.

This is a good site for emerging entrepreneurs and bands to check out venues for special events.

This site is a database of Indigenous Australian musicians. It is something like a myspace for indigenous Australians

Fiercely Independant Radio Melbourne Australia

Support Act is a social support organisation of people who work in the music industry, generally Support Act is a social support organisation of people who work in the music industry, generally you have to have worked in the industry for a number of years before you can be eligable for a grant from them. But it is useful to know about the organisation and to become a member from when you start off in your career.

This site is for the performing arts generally but especially for music. It features quite a good interactive gig guide.

The Australian Film Television Radio School offers courses short and long in all these areas of the Arts Industry.

The Melbourne Fringe Festival is an annual multi-arts festival, held in late September, early October every year. They offer advice and support for developing Fringe Festival events, as well as an extensive marking campaign. Their artist resources page contains a number of links to artist resources including venue information, other festivals, local council grants, even job advertisements with the festival itself.

Maribyrnong City Council offers free Arts Hub Access - they would appreciate if you filled in a feedback form though):\n"To Access Arts Hub\n Visit one of the Maribyrnong Library branches (you can only access Arts Hub from a library computer)\n When you are at the branch go to the Maribyrnong Library home page\n Select Online Databases and Weblinks\n Then choose the Arts Hub link

Experimenta describes itself as "Australia's leading organisation dedicated to commissioning, exhibiting and promoting the most advanced media and technology based art", and it certainly is upmarket - and inspiring.\n(Experimenta 2009 Australia viewed 4 May 2009 http://www.experimenta.org/profile.html)

Beginning as a personal project in 2006, the Indie art and design directory is a weblog that features products and listings of a range of independent Australian artists, designers and crafts people. They welcome submissions of websites to include in their listing, as well as applications for exhibition sponsorship, and paid advertising on their site.

Situated on Smith St, Fitzroy, in.cube8 is a shopfront/gallery that runs like a long term market. Open 6 days per week, and consisting of 90 different display spaces and open to "anyone who makes things by hand" artists, designers, crafts people can hire a shelf, display cabinet, wall space or clothes rack, from $20 - $90 per week, depending in size and visibility.

One of the best know artists markets in Melbourne, Rose St Artists Market is held every Saturday in Rose St, Fitzroy and consists of up to 70 stalls each week. Stalls are available from $50-60, and are decided on an application basis. Musicians are also encouraged to apply to perform on market days.