Frank Henry, from the Brisbane City Council, speaks to think tank participants.

Talented musicians and artists in the far north of the state gathered in Cairns this month to discuss the future of contemporary music in Queensland.

Home to edgy and talented artists, Cairns has long been acknowledged as a source of boundless potential in the areas of music and live entertainment.

Local artists campaigned strongly about the need to increase the performance opportunities open to local musicians, particularly emerging and Indigenous acts, and Arts Queensland responded by staging a Contemporary Music Think Tank on 12 April at the Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE.

Speakers included: Frank Henry, Brisbane City Council principal policy officer, responsible for the establishment of Australia's first special entertainment precinct in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley; Denis Donaghy, Director of Destination Cairns; and Ray Elias of Cairns collective, People Advocating Live Music (PALM). Michael Peterson, Director of the Ideas Festival, directed the discussion.

Ideas around building upon the unique attributes of the existing local music scene, capitalising on niche market strengths and developing local and global recognition were discussed.

The Cairns Contemporary Music Think Tank was an innovative and exciting starting point for Arts Queensland’s contemporary music strategy, to be released later this year.

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