I’m tired of nightlife getting media attention because of its economic value.
It has intrinsic value because of the connections it creates between people, independent of whether it makes money.
So…
❌ Stop giving it airtime just because of how many x billions of dollars it might create.
✅ Start giving it airtime because culture is how we strengthen and give voice to communities.
Get your values right. Money is a second order priority.
We're on the cusp of a REALLY EXCITING time in Sydney's artistic community. We need to get it right.
We need musicians + artists giving a voice to our times, and that won't truly happen if it's only driven by an industry: it needs to be a natural expression of the community itself.
Nothing against the music or arts industries. I know they're an important part of the ecosystem - but people make the mistake of seeing the music industry and our music communities as a Venn diagram containing two completely overlapping circles - that they're one and the same.
In Venn diagram terms, the music industry is a small circle in within a gigantic circle representing a dizzying number of musical communities/subcultures. That perspective is important, otherwise we're not going to have a proper view of the incredible breadth and depth around us.
Also, the music industry will be more exciting if it recognises itself as secondary and allows / encourages the grassroots stuff to thrive.
And I see green shoots that suggest that that is beginning to happen, and that makes me unbelievably happy.