Cultural leaders to unite for 2018 Music Cities Convention in Melbourne

Set to bring music industry representatives, governments and academic leaders from across the world to discuss the many ways music can improve city life, the sixth global Music Cities Convention will take place in Melbourne on 19th and 20th April 2018.

Home to more live music venues per capita, Melbourne will become a knowledge-sharing hub for the top minds of the global music, city planning, cultural and community developing industries, exploring how cities develop, measure and safeguard music policies globally.

Featuring 45 speakers ranging from urban city planners, cultural officers, artists, musicians and leaders in the music industry, 300 attendees are expected to attend two full days of ideas and discussions in April.

This Music Cities Convention will be the biggest event of its kind so far and the first ever Australasian edition of the event.

The conference theme, 'It takes a village to make a music city: Music Policy from top to bottom', will cover topics such as Music Policy in Asia; Night Mayors, a possible solution to tensions between residents, venues and councils; Music Tourism and The Role of Landowners, featuring guest speakers from the major corporations behind the buildings and venues.

A My Music Cities talks series will provide a glimpse into the music industry across the world with six presentations covering each continent.

Explaining that Melbourne has produced internationally renowned musicians from Nick Cave to Courtney Barnett, and is the prime location to strike up the important conversations about the future of music in cities, Victorian Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley states "from the breadth of talent on our stages and our music-hungry audiences, to our iconic venues and the many industry professionals working hard behind the scenes - Melbourne's music community is loud, proud and critical to the life and experience of our city.

"We look forward to welcoming you to Melbourne and being part of a global conversation about the role music can play in the health, liveability and vitality of cities."

Music Cities Convention will take place on 19th April at Arts Centre Melbourne and 20th April at Deakin Edge Federation Square.

Speakers include:

• Jesse Elliott, Director, The MUSAic District, Fort Collins - USA 
• Helen Feng, Lead Singer, Nova Heart - China 
• Farai Monro, CEO, Magamba Network - Zimbabwe 
• Sadia Sadia, award-winning record producer and artist - UK 
• Faith Gonsalves, Executive Director, MUSAic Basti, Integrated Development Education Association - India 
• Dominique Greco, Project Manager, Nighttime Economy, Downtown Development Board/Community Redevelopment Agency, City of Orlando - USA 
• Brian Ritchie, Executive Director, MONA & Artist, Violent Femmes - AusAtralia 
• Maria Claudia Lopez, Secretary of Culture, Bogota - Colombia 
• Robin Malau, Chief Executive, MUSAikator - Indonesia 
• Tony Nagamaiah, General Manager, Malaysia Major Events, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau - Malaysia 
• Raffi Niziblian, Creative Director & Founder, Deem Communications & Senior Project Manager, EU Delegation in Armenia - Armenia 
• Chris Robb, CEO, Mass Participation Asia - Indonesia 
• Lauren Roth de Wolf, Director, Africa Express - UK 
• Dr. Will Straw, PhD, James McGill Professor of Urban Media Studies, Department of Art History and Communications Studies, McGill University - Canada 
• Dr. Andrea Jean Baker, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, School of Media, Film and Journalism
• Larry Heath, Director, Heath Media - Australia
• Dr. Shane Homan PhD, Associate Professor, Monash University 
• Bree Trevena, Research Manager, Arup Australia

Music Cities Convention Melbourne is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and presented by Sound Diplomacy and Music Victoria.

Click here for event details in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar. 

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