Patron: The Governor-General, Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC
A lot is happening at ArtSound:
- ArtSound Board vacancies
- Grant applications
- The Sounds of Summer
- Autumn Days — Collaboration with Upstageing Canberra
- The Dear Departed staged radio play
- Concert Action Team
- Call for radio-drama scripts
- ArtSound’s podcasting meetup
- Presenting opportunities
- ArtSound production unit
- Canberra Southern Cross Club sponsorship
- Donations
- How you can help
ArtSound Board Vacancies
Are you able to support ArtSound by becoming a Board member? The Board provides executive oversight of ArtSound’s operations and is an essential part of our ongoing success. We currently need three new members to act as Board Directors until the 2026 AGM in April. If you are able to provide this support and would like more information, please contact Bart Meehan, president@artsound.fm
Come April, and the AGM, incumbents and others are encouraged to run as candidates for 2026-27 Board positions. If you have experience or capabilities that would assist the Board, please consider applying to become a Board Director. And please pass this solicitation on to colleagues who may be well suited.
We will soon call for nominees for the next Board. If you would like to speak with current Board members about the tasks involved, write to president@artsound.fm.
ArtSound particularly encourages younger listeners to apply.
Grant applications
ArtSound is always looking for opportunities for funding that will improve our services to the community and secure our future. The hard work of Chris Deacon and Peter Monaghan saw great success last year, when we received the largest CBF grant awarded in Australia, as well as funding for our studio upgrade. To follow up on that most helpful, three-year grant, wWe are now submitting two more large grant applications to the ACT government and CBF. Cross your fingers.
The Sounds of Summer
ArtSound is again holding its Sounds of Summer Concert series this year. Our most recent concert took place on February 22.
A slightly gloomy start to the day did not deter the team of ArtSound volunteers who erected stages, set up sound systems, and offered our guests the renowned ArtSound hospitality. A hastily created poster appealed to passersby.
While the concert was originally to have featured Carnival Road, a Canberra outfit that performs prog-rock with an Aussie edge, late in the week the band’s guitarist suffered a broken finger, necessitating a quick lineup change. David Bath and the Hot Tubs stepped in to the headline spot at short notice. As our brave audience members lifted their umbrellas, the band performed contemporary alt-folk-rock music with a bluesy surf influence.
In the opening act, Canberra duo Poetry in Motion featuring ArtSound’s own Paul Marsh (pictured bottom right), performed a set of classic poems set to music. Yes, those included lyrics by Mr Shakespeare.
Thanks to everyone who made sure the show could go on, particularly Michael Catley for organising the acts and Alan Subkey for running the sound. We look forward to a future event featuring Carnival Road. Before then, something a little different: Autumn Days Monologues and Short Plays (with a little music tossed in!).
Photos: Leon Buker
Autumn Days — Collaboration with Upstageing Canberra
As part of COTA/Upstageing Canberra, Australia’s largest festival celebrating creative aging, ArtSound presents Autumn Days — Monologues and Short Plays at 2pm, March 29 in the gardens of the Manuka Arts Centre.
Join us to see some of Canberra’s best actors perform original pieces that will make you laugh and make you cry.
Tickets ($15) can be pre booked through the ArtSound website. Members discounts ($10) will be applied at payment. Concessions Card discounts ($10) will be available at the gate on the day.
The Dear Departed — Mill Theatre stages a radio play
In an exciting new artistic partnership, ArtSound is collaborating with Mill Theatre to stage a live performance of a radio play adapted by ArtSound Radio Theatre.
The Dear Departed will run as part of the Upstageing Canberra Festival from 20-28 March and will be filmed and recorded by ArtSound’s production volunteers.
Tickets are available online. (https://events.humanitix.com/live-radio-play-the-dear-departed-by-stanley-houghton-adapted-by-bart-meehan )
Concert Action Team
ArtSound is establishing an action team to coordinate the ArtSound Garden Concert Series. The team will be responsible for identifying artists as well as providing logistical support for the events. This activity is an important part of our support of ACT artists, as well as providing income for ongoing operations of ArtSound. If you are able to be part of this team please contact Julie at admin@artsound.fm.
Call for radio-drama scripts
You, too, could be featured in an ArtSound Radio Players production. If you have a script that would be suitable for radio, or even an idea for a radio play but you’re not sure where to start, get in touch with ArtSound Radio Theatre, which airs Sundays at 4pm (repeated Mondays at 10pm). The highly experienced troupe may be able to help. Write to help@artsound.fm.
ArtSound’s podcasting meetup
Members are invited to attend ArtSound’s fortnightly Podcasting Meetup. It’s an informal gathering of podcast enthusiasts — some experienced, some beginners — who discuss podcast skills, approaches, and content.
The group generally meets every second Monday from 5:30-6:30pm in ArtSound’s dedicated podcast studio. To inquire about joining in, write to podcast@artsound.fm.
Are you our next presenter?
Do you have good knowledge of an area of arts practice that could make for compelling arts radio, or are you keen to learn?
ArtSound is always interested in hearing from potential presenters who would like to create programs about specialist areas of arts in and around the ACT, or the world.
Perhaps you have specialised knowledge in, say, opera, or film music, or radiophonic art, or non-music subjects related to arts or culture… or history or heritage… You tell us!
We can provide training in the relatively simple tasks involved in long- or short-form programming — either live to air or via pre-recording.
Please write to programmingcommittee@artsound.fm and we’ll get in touch to discuss the possibilities.
ArtSound production unit
Do you have skills or ideas for audio production? For example, have you wanted to create a series of short items about some aspect of ACT-region arts and culture? Or could you help us to create polished on-air announcements of various kinds?
ArtSound is expanding its production of promotional and sponsorship (advertising) announcements, along with short items to drop into our regular programming.
If you’d like to join us, or have ideas to share, get in touch via help@artsound.fm.
Canberra Southern Cross Club sponsorship
ArtSound is back on the Canberra Southern Cross Club Community Rewards list, which allows ArtSound supporters to contribute to our coffers simply by dining at the club’s various facilities.
Under the program, as a patron of the club, you can go to this link: https://csccmarketing.wufoo.com/forms/m1ti98210e4gdsx/ and add your CSCC member details. Then, every time you buy food and drinks at the CSCC, ArtSound will get 7.5% of what you spend, and the money goes towards our equipment upgrades and running costs.
Donations
We’re always grateful to receive donations to support our work, which includes featuring about 1,000 ACT-region artists on air annually along with specialty programming that supports and fosters arts activities in the ACT region.
ArtSound does this as an all-volunteer community radio station with expenses that run to more than $120,000 each year, almost half of them from the costs of transmitting to the ACT from Black Mountain and Mt Taylor.
If you can help, please use the QR code below to go directly to the ArtSound donation page. Or get in touch to talk about how you might help: admin@artsound.fm or 6295 7444.
Support ArtSound in any of many ways
Opportunities to help out at ArtSound are many. Some of them are:
Welcoming Committee members
Communications team members
Advertising reps
Presenters
Program producers and assistants
Music library helpers
ArtSound FM’s mission is to cultivate a vibrant arts community in the ACT region. Your memberships and donations sustain our year-long programming including our artist-centred features and interviews and our many broadcasts of live recordings of concerts in and around Canberra.
Thank you for being part of ArtSound!
Please go online to artsound.fm to take out membership or donate.
Or, send your contact details and a description of how you think you can help to help@artsound.fm.
Or phone (02) 6295 7444 — if necessary, please leave a message and we’ll get back to you.
Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
ArtSound is an all-volunteer community radio station.
Please forward this newsletter to any possibly interested friends and family members.
And if you have any suggestions about items to include in this bulletin, please send them to newsletter@artsound.fm at least three days before the end of the month.
