A new music industry-supported campaign has been launched in Melbourne today, with the aim of enabling a cultural shift within the Australian music – particularly, the live music – industry. Your Choice has been engineered in the wake of continued stories emerging from all corners regarding a distinct lack of accountability within Australian venues, festivals and event spaces.
Other initiatives and organisations like Camp Cope‘s It Takes One, the Victorian Sexual Task Force and Listen have already done well in highlighting these issues at hand and providing solutions and frameworks to protect punters and industry, as well as educating on a more inclusive, safer and more supportive music culture, and Your Choice aims to do the same. In working to be a support system to join forces with those already in place, the aim of Your Choice’s game is to reduce harm in these environments and continue to spur on positive dialogue moving forward.
The launch, which took place at Richmond’s Bakehouse Studios, featured Helen Marcou (VIC Sexual Assault Task Force, Co-Founder of SLAM), Sally Mather (Music & Marketing Co-ordinator, The Corner Hotel/Northcote Social Club), Jess Ducrou (Co-CEO, Secret Sounds), Jaddan Comerford (CEO and Founder, UNIFIED Music Group), Rhett McLaren (Co-Owner/Director, The Hills Are Alive) and Paul Piticco (Co-CEO, Secret Sounds) on a panel addressing media and other industry personnel on the aims of the initiative.
“Your Choice is an important conversation to have.” Ducrou has commented. “Australia is one of the most highly regulated countries in the world with lots of check and balances in place that help make you safe. Who is responsible for the decisions you make? At its core, Your Choice is a discussion about safety at gigs, concerts and festivals and how we can collectively have an inclusive, supportive good time at these shows. Your Choice will start the conversation and we hope, positively shift the behavioural culture that seems so prevalent these days. We’re into it!”
As a call to action, Your Choice asks music lovers and industry folk to get behind the campaign on July 18th in changing their Facebook profile picture to the Your Choice logo as a show of solidarity – you can find out more on how to be involved by visiting www.your-choice.net.au.
Lead image: The Avalanches, by Daniel Grant.
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