The Business Improvement Associations of the City of Newcastle have launched a project that will establish live music spots across the city to provide ambiance for business precincts, as well as income and promotional opportunity for local musicians.

Newcastle City BIA Deputy Chair and Live Spots Deputy Project Lead, Joe Relic, said that planning began late last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic had provided new impetus for the BIA Live Spots project.

“Live Spots is a city-wide collaboration of the BIAs of Hamilton, Newcastle City, Wallsend and Mayfield to create live performance spaces in the four precincts as a tool of community engagement, promotion, activation and placemaking,” he said.

“We are working closely with the City of Newcastle to provide spaces for local musical artists to perform and therefore providing exposure and income generation opportunities for them.”

Importantly, the Live Spots initiative is not about creating performance spaces. It is about facilitating ambient music in locations and at times where passing foot traffic can enjoy.

The project also seeks to engage local artists to create the Live Spots. The spots might be painted or designed to showcase visual interpretations of each place, the history, culture, or community.

The BIAs have launched Live Spots stage one, which will focus upon creating an initial four spots and showcasing local and emerging artists who will perform during sessions.

The BIAs will work with local artists to create visual art instalments that are expected to be circles or spots that will be about two to the three metres in diameter.

Each spot will be curated by the local BIA and an artist to reflect the culture and history of the place as well as a link to music and business.

Four initial Live Spots are planned to be established in partnership with the City of Newcastle in:

• Hamilton: James Street Plaza
• Newcastle: Darby Street Cooks Hill
• Wallsend: Rotunda Park
• Mayfield: Victoria Street or near the new Coles development

“This is very much about developing a platform for collaboration now and for the future. The BIAs are inviting community and industry feedback and input in designed future stages of the project,” Joe said.

“We have started working with a number of stakeholders in the music industry including local talent agents to provide support services for the project.

“The BIAs are also thrilled to be working with Atwea College, that was the recipient of additional Special Business Rate funding, to provide emerging artists with support in the form of a rehearsal space, music instrument exchange and mentoring for outdoor performance.”

These services will be provided from Atwea’s Creative Art Space in Beaumont Street Hamilton

“Our ultimate objective is to have dozens of spots across the city that are coordinated to feature a wide range of musicians, genres and styles and work within larger city-wide tourism, events and cultural landscape,” Joe said.

Despite being able to attend, Joe thanked Deputy Chair of Hamilton Business Association and Live Spots Project Lead, Kellie Mann at the project launch for her insight in designing the Live Spots scope.

Interested individuals and organisations can express an interest in being involved by visiting the Live Spots website.

IMAGE | Tim Crakanthorp, Janice Musumeci, Rowan Cox, Warren Pulbrook, Cr Nuatali Nelmes, and Joe Relic, and Cr Carol Duncan (left-right).