PROJECT OVERVIEW
" My project is a festival based in Melbourne that celebrates and supports upcoming and regional Australian musicians who have been affected by COVID-19. "
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Since COVID-19 hit Australia the ILMG industry survey estimates that the total lost wages in 2020 for the music industry stands at $345 million. “This is a sophisticated industry that brings an extremely valuable cultural and economic [product] to society.” - Mr Carey
Because of the nature of live music, dancing, singing and socialising in a confined space, this industry was impacted significantly more than others by the COVID restrictions. This impacted the musicians as well as the venues, organisers, sound technicians etc. The effects are wide reached. That’s why the design solution for this problem also focuses on the venues of live music.
Some of the most vulnerable in this scene are those just starting. Such as smaller artists Australia wide who don’t have access to the support of a large following. Our upcoming musicians who have been unable to get the one thing that serves as a primary source of income for musicians today; Touring and live performance ticket sales.
“Three-quarters of respondents to a survey in March 2021 predicting they would not be around in six months if trading conditions — particularly the capacity restrictions on venues— did not improve." (Donoughue & Shneier 2021)
HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS?
A re-occurring festival, the first version launching in January 2022. It will be a 4-day festival located in various bars and venues around North Melbourne. The setlist will be comprised solely of Australian upcoming and regional musicians.
Ticket sales will be given directly to the performers, and additional income from the sale of promotional items will be donated to supporting organisations such as Support Act.
My research concluded the target market is very likely to consume alcohol, so the festival will release a craft beer as a promotional tool to be sold at bottle shops as well as the bars and venues hosting the events. This product will be sold year-round as a constant revenue stream for the cause.
WILL A FESTIVAL REALLY HELP?
" Touring/live performance ticket sales serve as the primary source of income for most musicians today. "
"Previous research suggests that engagement with music in a festival context can contribute to the creation of a sense of community, binding group members together as participants of a larger culture and providing an opportunity to engage in social activities" (Frith, 1996; Gibson & Connell, 2005)
As this festival is set across multiple different venues many of the usual associated costs with running a festival are void. Grants such as Festivals Australia, Arts Projects Organisations Fund, Victoria Annual Arts grants, The Music for Victoria Fund could also be utilised to help with running costs. Because of these factors combined with the sale of the tickets, promotional beer and merchandise this has the potential to be very profitable for the cause.
- Performer booking fees - Lower because of aim at upcoming and smaller musicians.
- Site hire - $0
- Staging and equiptment hire - $0
- Utilities (electricity ect) - $0
- Waste disposal - $0
- Insurance - $0
- Infrastructure - $0
- Permits and Licensing (alcohol) - $0, venues already licensed.
- Printing, Signage + Marketing and Management Team only associated costs.
Reports have shown that performers see a spike in royalties both at the time of the event and carrying on afterward as audiences continue to stream.
TARGET MARKET
AGE 20-45 (Millennials & Gen-Z)
GENDER Unisex, gender inclusive (non-binary ect)
Family Majority of the audience will not have a family, older attendees may. Most of the events will be 18+. Children in attendance is unlikely.
Income bracket Income bracket is low to medium.
Job Trades, hospitality, creative professionals and admin/clerical workers.
Education level Majority have completed year 12, around 40% have completed secondary education or higher. * (Hughes et al. 2019)
Marital status Single or in a couple.
Attitudes Individuals attending this festival are social and enjoy music. They are interested or involved in the arts and entertainment industry. They have a developed taste in music and listen to smaller upcoming musicians, not just what is popular. They are forward thinking and trend setters. They likely drink alcohol, and may consume recreational drugs.
Beliefs The audience is inclined towards the left. They may follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, or purchase their food from deli’s and markets. They are well educated on human rights issues. They believe in equality across races and sexes. They support the LGBTGI community. They are interested in sustainability and an eco friendly lifestyle.
PROJECT RESEARCH
Researching the direct and indirect competitors was incredibly important to figure out how what my point of difference was, what was stylistically successful or unsuccessful and potential musicians to include.
BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL
Brunswick Music Festival’s branding is bold, contemporary and type focused. Inspired by the unusual and inconsistent typography seen across Brunswick’s shop frontages. The ‘ticket’ motif is at the core of the BMF brand, seen adapted year to year. A symbolic offering, welcoming the broader community to share and experience Brunswick’s progressive multiculturalism, history, diversity and vibrant creative arts culture.
From researching this main competitor I realised I could differentiate by focusing the line-up on only Australian musicians, and in particular artists from regional areas.
DARK MOFO
Dark Mofo is the winter version of the MONA FOMA festival, held in Tasmania. With many of its events taking place at night, it celebrates the darkness of the southern winter solstice and features many musical acts, large scale light installations and a winter feast. Due to its pagan influence and darker themes, it has been aligned with the Tasmanian Gothic aesthetic in literature and art.
Dark Mofo draws a huge amount of tourists and visitors into Tasmania. From my research into this festival, I realised the power and excitement an innovative festival can bring to the creative community.
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FEST
The festival is an annual jazz music festival that takes place in concert halls, arts venues, jazz clubs and pop-ups throughout the streets of Melbourne. Shortened to Melb Int’l Jazz Fest in 2019, the brand mark aimed to align with essence of jazz. Bold, clean, balancing unmistakable with subtle.
Researching this festival showed me the power of typography and contrast. In my branding I chose hand-drawn type to communicate the rustic and friendly energy I wanted to portray.
MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL
The Melbourne Fringe Fest welcomes more than 3400 independent artists to participate and display their finest artwork at over 150 venues around Melbourne. The aesthetic is eclectic, weird and contemporary. The fringe logo exemplifies the design style, with pulled and distorted san serif type, arranged in a way that defies the grid and baseline. The imagery catches viewers attention and forces them to question their own understanding of what constitutes art. A running theme throughout the festival.
The use of humour and weird imagery is exceptional in the Fringe Fest branding. I was inspired to try to implement wacky imagery in my own branding, to grab the attention of the unconventional and creative target market.
BRAND SOLUTION
REFLECTION
This project has been both exciting and challenging. Having the opportunity to spend a lengthy amount of time researching the project was luxurious and strengthened my passion for the subject of live music in Australia. Looking more into the issues associated with the cause, inspired me to work even harder to create a design solution that could potentially work in the real world.
One of the biggest learning curves has been managing my time to get everything completed. This project has required a steady and concentrated effort to reach my goals and achieve all my planned deliverables. It has been satisfying to see what I can do when I knuckle down, put in the hours and problem solve.
This project has also strengthened my love for illustration, helping me realise what I'd like to focus on and improve on in the future.