Live Performance Venue Accelerator

No, both licensed and unlicensed venues can be eligible.

The Accelerator is designed for venues with little-to-no knowledge of how to stage live performance, so venues who are regularly staging live performance may not find the Accelerator beneficial. Venues that meet the eligibility requirements can apply. Applications will be assessed against assessment criteria outlined in the Admission Guidelines.

Eligible live performance includes, but is not limited to:  

• Theatre and musical theatre  
• Live music  
• Cabaret  
• Opera  
• Dance performances   
• Classical music and choral performances  
• Poetry slams and readings  
• Comedy  
• Live immersive and interactive experiences  
• Live DJs 

Other live performance activities may be included at the discretion of the assessment panel.

Yes, eligible hospitality venues with a maximum total venue capacity up to 300 patrons can apply.

The Office of the 24-Hour Economy’s remit is limited to the NSW Six Cities Region. For a list of eligible LGAs, refer to the Accelerator Admission Guidelines.

There are approximately 25 spots available. Read the Admission Guidelines for further information on how applications will be competitively assessed.

If your application is deemed ineligible, you will be advised via email and your application will not proceed to assessment.

Questions about the Live Performance Venue Accelerator can be emailed to:

liveperformance@enterprise.nsw.gov.au

A maximum of one Accelerator application will be accepted per venue. If an applicant owns more than one venue, they can submit an application for each eligible venue. Each application will be considered separately.

Your application must be received through our secure online grants system called SmartyGrants

The Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner has the discretion to accept late applications only where it would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 13 December 2023, 2pm.

Requests for late submissions must be received no later than 5:30pm on the date of closing. Requests for late submissions will only be admitted for assessment at the sole discretion of the Department, having regard to the material fairness of allowing the application to be assessed.

Applicants requesting late submissions are encouraged to provide explanation and evidence of unforeseeable circumstance or major disruption that has prevented the application from being submitted in time.

Places on the Accelerator are limited, and priority will be given to applicants who do not have existing skills to stage live performance, and whose venue vision provides potential beneficial outcomes for the local community.

No further information can be accepted, or changes made to your application after the closing date.

Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner may, at its sole discretion, and at any stage of the application process, request additional information from an applicant, provided it does not give the applicant an advantage over other applicants.

No. Venues must apply for a grant by submitting a Grant Application Form in Phase 2 – Live Performance Venue Grant Program which will open in February 2024.

Applications for the Grant Program will be assessed by a panel consisting of relevant senior representatives from NSW Government departments against set criteria. Only successful applicants to the Grant Program will receive grant funding. 

All applicants are expected to be notified of the outcome of their Live Performance Venue Accelerator applications by Friday 22 December 2023.

The Live Performance Venue Accelerator will be held over a six-week period from February 2024 through a series of pre-recorded sessions, in-person workshops and virtual sessions.

Accelerator participants are expected to complete all mandatory modules.  

Participants may be required to complete some elements of the Accelerator in their own time, in preparation for upcoming sessions. 

Consistent attendance at the Accelerator by the same nominated person/people from the organisation is recommended and will provide maximum value to the business. 

The time commitment is approximately 26 hours over the six-week Accelerator period, plus time for preparation of upcoming sessions. 

The schedule of workshops will be released as soon as possible to successful participants to help plan their involvement. Once received, venues will need to nominate the representative/s to attend the Accelerator. 

Guidelines for the Grant Program will be made available as soon as they are ready, which will be no later than February 2024.

Other eligible live performance activities may be included at the discretion of the assessment panel.

Once we know where the majority of attendees are based, we will select a central location for the in-person sessions. We will provide an option for those who cannot travel to join online but encourage attendance in person if possible.

The in-person sessions will usually be 3-hours, and this may combine more than one module in that 3-hour period. The online sessions will be no longer than an hour.

No. Participants are expected to cover any costs incurred by participating in the Accelerator.

The Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner may request periodical reports following the completion of the Accelerator to help measure the success of the Program. This will be outlined in the Participant Agreement. Participants may also be required to participate in case studies and provide testimonials and/or venue images/video for use in promotional material.