Announcing The Regional Sessions Victoria

UPDATE (2 September 2021)

Due to the current public health guidelines, The Regional Sessions Victoria program scheduled to be held during October 2021 has been postponed and will now be held in March 2022 (dates to be confirmed). Ticket holders can hold onto their tickets for the rescheduled dates or request a refund via [email protected].

Tickets will be put back on sale at a further date, and we look forward to when we can all get together and connect through the art and craft of songwriting.

Events will be held in Gippsland, Wangaratta, Bendigo, Dandenong and Geelong.

Connect with songwriting peers and learn from Gordi, Dave Faulkner, Adalita, Joel Ma, N'fa Jones, Emma Donovan, Alex Lahey and more.

The Regional Sessions, a locally-themed event series dedicated to the art, craft, connection and business of songwriting, is set to take place in October at five musical hubs around Victoria - Gippsland, Wangaratta, Bendigo, Dandenong and Geelong.

Early bird discounted tickets are on sale now to the sessions, which are presented by music rights management organisation APRA AMCOS, with support from Creative Victoria.

The Regional Sessions are a spin-off of the successful Melbourne Sessions, which took place in 2018 and 2019 with the support of the Victorian Government and featured sold-out one-day events that drew songwriters from the metropolitan area and beyond. Beginner, emerging and mid-career songwriters and musicians are invited to attend.

The full-day program is tailored to each local area, featuring a keynote 'In Conversation', a songwriter panel and small group workshops. The program will culminate with a curated performance and post-event networking at a nearby venue.

Attendees will gain valuable insight from confirmed keynote speakers Gordi, Dave Faulkner and Adalita.

In afternoon workshop sessions, attendees have the opportunity to share their work and get feedback from artists at the top of their game like Joel Ma (Joelistics), Emma Donovan, Benny Walker, Ella Hooper, N'fa Jones, Beatrice Lewis and more.

"I'm really looking forward to the Regional Sessions in my hometown of Geelong. It’s going to be a great opportunity for songwriters to connect and experience new ideas and share in the creative process," said singer, songwriter and solo artist Adalita, who, in addition to the keynote, will also lead workshops at the Geelong event.

Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson said, “Adalita started out in Geelong, Ella Hooper first made music in Violet Town and today, Victoria’s established and emerging contemporary artists hail from right across the state. The Victorian Government is proud to support The Regional Sessions as part of our $5 million regional and outer suburban live music initiative, bringing music back to our local stages, investing in local talent and ensuring our industry reactivates and recovers.”

The Regional Sessions have been created as a high-impact day to foster creativity, connections and industry knowledge at a crucial time for anyone pursuing music.

As the music industry continues to face adversity due to the impacts of COVID-19 and limited performance opportunities and restricted travel, the exchange of ideas and the skills development for writing songs are more important and vital than ever.