Robert Stigwood Fellowships announced

Robert Stigwood Fellowship Heaps Good FriendsAfter three successful years, the Robert Stigwood Fellowship will again help kickstart the careers of South Australia’s best artists and industry entrepreneurs. Named after Adelaide expat Robert Stigwood, the program provides professional development and global connections in the commercial music industry, focusing on accelerating skills, knowledge and career advancement.

The high calibre of mentoring and tailored funding has led to recording and management deals being inked and resulted in sold-out headline tours. It has also led to some of Adelaide’s best artists being showcased at the world-renowned Great Escape Festival in the UK and Bigsound in Brisbane, as well as collaborations with Grammy-award winning producers and songs being played on high rotation on major radio stations.

“What makes these fellowships so effective is the tailored and specific nature of the support and development each recipient receives,” said Arts South Australia Executive Director, Peter Louca.

This year’s chosen fellows will receive similar opportunities including tailored funding and mentorship from high level industry professionals, songwriting, production, marketing and publicity, development of business skills and attendance at conferences, including high level industry meetings.

“The career development the artists and industry fellows gain from the program means they have doors opened for them here in South Australia, avoiding the need for them to leave the State to pursue their careers,” said Mr Louca. “This boosts our homegrown talent base, which in turn is good for the local sector.”

2017 Artist Fellows:

  • Heaps Good Friends – peanut brittle pop with text-message lyrics
  • Electric Fields – vocally driven, soulful electronic pop
  • Lonely Speck – cutting-edge, slow wave electronica
  • Tom West – alt-country rock with an emphasis on big melodies
  • The Winter Gypsy – indie folk with a modern flavour

2017 Industry Fellows:

  • Sundial Productions (Emma Coyle and Joel Byrne)
  • Sharni Honor
  • Alex Karatassa

The Robert Stigwood program is an Arts South Australia initiative and aims to encourage and cultivate the best emerging South Australian artists and business entrepreneurs, whilst celebrating Robert Stigwood and his achievements throughout his career.

As one of the most successful figures in the entertainment industry in the 1960s and 1970s, Robert Stigwood managed acts such as The Bee Gees and Cream, film productions including Saturday Night Fever and theatre productions such as Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar.

For more information, visit: www.arts.sa.gov.au for details.

Image: Heaps Good Friends (supplied)