Port Fairy Folk Festival announces 2025 Future Folk Musician Development Program
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30.10.2024

Port Fairy Folk Festival announces 2025 Future Folk Musician Development Program

Words by Staff Writer

After many successes since its inauguration in 2022, Future Folk is back to support young emerging artists and performers hailing from Southwest Victoria.

Are you a young artist wanting to make a break into the music industry? Now is your chance to live out your dreams, with the 2025 Future Folk Young Musician Development Program offering young performers the chance to perform on stage at the Port Fairy Folk Festival.

2025 Future Folk Young Musician Development Program

  • All participants must be between the ages of 12-25
  • Applicants must be from South West Victoria
  • Applications close 29 November 2024. Applicants notified 13 December 2024

Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.

Delivered in partnership with Moyne Shire Council’s FReeZA program, with funding provided by the Victorian Government, Future Folk is a professional development program aimed at emerging artists between the ages of 12 and 25 from South West Victoria. As part of the 2025 Port Fairy Folk Festival, Future Folk participants will work with established artists in one-on-one and group mentoring sessions before, during and after the festival.

The program provides a variety of activities suitable for individuals of all creative backgrounds. Its goal is to cultivate skills, build confidence, and foster connections among youth, enhancing their understanding of various musical elements while encouraging collaboration with peers. Future Folk encourages singers, songwriters, musicians, and members of bands to participate in this unique opportunity for young creatives to acquire valuable skills from professional artists and gain experience performing before a festival audience.

Future Folk participants will receive a full 20-minute set performance on Fiddlers Green at the 48th Port Fairy Folk Festival taking place from 7 – 10 March 2025 as part of an emerging artist showcase. They will be able to participate in a songwriters circle which involves a two-song performance on the main stage inside the festival arena. Additionally, the artists will also receive payment for their performances in line with industry standards.

All together Future Folk participants will receive:

  • A full 20-minute set performance on Fiddlers Green as part of an emerging artist showcase
  • A performance in the festival arena
  • 5 session mentoring program plus two one-on-one mentor sessions
  • Artists will also receive payment for their performance

The program has become a feature of the Port Fairy Folk Festival which aims to support young emerging musicians and ensure that they are provided with opportunities that support their growth within the Australian music community. a case study of the program is local musician Flynn Gurry, a participant in 2022, who has seen significant career growth since his mentoring sessions with The Pierce Brothers, resulting in a national tour and recent performance at Triple J’s One Night Stand event in Warrnambool.

Of the program he says, “Being part of the 2022 Future Folk program was such a huge opportunity for me! Thinking back to that time and there is no way I could have foreseen the doors it was going to open for me and my career. Whether it was through the mentoring sessions, or meeting all the other young emerging folk artists, all those connections as a result of this program have been instrumental in the development of myself as an artist!”

Applications are now open for the 2025 Future Folk Young Musician Development Program and close 29 November 2025. Applicants will be notified of the outcomes on 13 December.

Apply now for the 2025 Future Folk Young Musician Development Program here.