UNIFIED Music Group partners with Collarts to address Australian music industry’s urgent post-COVID skills shortage

Aiming to create employment pathways for the next generation of much-needed music industry professionals, UNIFIED Music Group’s Red Hill Entertainment has partnered with Australia’s go-to education provider for the creative industries, Collarts (formerly AusMusic).

The partnership directly addresses the urgent skills shortage that the music industry now faces after two devastating years of shutdowns and lockdowns, and a lack of grassroots financial support for live music from the Government, following COVID-19.

UNIFIED Music Group is a globally renowned multi-service music company with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Los Angeles and London. UNIFIED offers services covering artist management, recorded music, publishing, live events and merchandise to a diverse roster of local and international artists.

The multi-year collaboration offers Collarts students the opportunity to gain real-world work experience across Red Hill Entertainment’s music festivals UNIFY Forever, NYE On The Hill and Land Of Plenty, with up to 60 roles available during the 2022 season.

The roles will cover a broad section of the festival operations business including artist liaising, production crew and accreditation, content creation, digital marketing and sponsorship.

The partnership will extend beyond live music in 2022 with the introduction of a 12-week internship program with UNIFIED, where Collarts students can apply for and experience a formal interview process for placements across its Artists Management, Recorded Music, Merchandise Services and Head Office departments.

UNIFIED will also host a number of industry sessions for Collarts students during the year to share practical insights on the music business, including an artist management themed workshop facilitated by the brain trust behind superstars Vance Joy, Client Liaison, Illy, Mo’Ju, Ocean Alley, Slowly Slowly and Tash Sultana.

The two organisations have worked together previously, and this new agreement solidifies a longer-term opportunity for rising stars to gain experience. Collarts students have already found employment with UNIFIED, including Desiree Venuto (Lonely Lands Agency), Emma McWilliam (UNIFIED Music Group) and Reahn Hayman (Red Hill Entertainment).

Prior to the pandemic, the arts and entertainment sector contributed about $15 billion per year in GDP, employing close to 200,000 highly-skilled Australians. Research by The Australia Institute found that for every million dollars in turnover, the arts and entertainment sectors produce nine jobs while the construction industry only produces around one job.

Collarts Dean, Professor Tim Moss notes “At Collarts, connecting students with industry leaders is a really important aspect of what we do, to ensure our students and graduates are up to date, experienced, and have the skills and knowledge to succeed in their chosen career.

“For that reason, we are excited to partner with Red Hill Entertainment, providing our students with real-world experiences at top-tier festivals such as UNIFY and Land of Plenty, and also providing unique opportunities for students to get involved through volunteering and internships.

“Through this partnership, students will expand their understanding of how large-scale events are created, setting them up to contribute to the industry as their careers continue to unfold.”

Red Hill Entertainment Festival Director, Rhett Maclaren adds “Red Hill Entertainment and Collarts have partnered together previously by providing great staff for UNIFY Gathering, but this year really solidifies the evolution of this partnership into an opportunity for rising stars to get the entire, in-depth, industry experience.

“As our business expands into new festival brands and event operations, we know this partnership will be key to investing in the next generation of industry talent post-pandemic.”

To access high-quality education, which prepares you for real employment opportunities in the creative industries, apply now to study at Collarts in 2022.

Image: (L-R): Former Collarts students Reahn Hayman, Desiree Venuto and Emma McWilliam