It's All Good
'Because everyone deserves to enjoy live music.'
By Shauna Upton, Safe Venues Program Manager
That’s the ethos driving MusicNT’s newest venture, the All Good Project, which works with live music venues throughout the Territory to create safer music spaces for staff, performers and music-lovers alike.
The need for a project focusing on safer venues for live music was identified after discussions with musicians and members of the music industry raised concerns over the safety of key minority groups at gigs, and of a binge drinking culture often accompanying live music events.
The All Good Project isn’t just targeting physical safety at gigs, but rather providing a holistic approach to safety by focusing on broader issues such as gender equality, harassment, discrimination and accessibility.
We are working with venue management to ensure adherence to safety standards as outlined in the program’s comprehensive policy with the assistance of specialised staff training, program-specific resources, and MusicNT’s recently released Live Music Venue Best Practice Guidelines.
The Project doesn’t intend to impact anyone’s ability to have a good time at live music events, either! We’re working to educate patrons on acceptable behaviour standards and the importance of being an active bystander to ensure that one person’s good time doesn’t come at the expense of someone else’s.
With 27% of respondents to a 2020 MusicNT Safe Venue survey only ‘sometimes’ feeling safe in NT venues, we know work in this space is not only important but necessary.
Ultimately, we want that number to change – we want all patrons, venue staff and performers to feel safe and supported in live music spaces. Because at the end of the day, everyone deserves to enjoy live music.
