Support Act EOFY Appeal

Music charity, Support Act, has launched its annual End of Financial Year appeal to raise funds for music industry workers in crisis, with support from its youngest ever donor, 11-year-old singer/songwriter, Devy.

The appeal received a very welcome $5,000 donation from the rising star from Melbourne, who donated her prize money from the recently-won St Kilda Festival New Music Competition to the cause.

Devy explains: “I realised how many Australian music industry workers have been affected by the pandemic. They’re struggling to pay their rent and put food on the table, and their mental health has been heavily affected because of losing hope again and again because of cancelled shows.

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“So when I won the competition, I donated all of the prize money to Support Act. I urge you please, if you have any spare cash, donate it to Support Act, because we’re all Australians and we should support our mates.”

Clive Miller, CEO of Support Act, adds: “We were beyond words when Devy contacted us to tell us she was donating all of her prize money to the appeal. With everything the universe has thrown at the music industry in the last couple of years, it’s heartwarming to see such generosity from this young rising star.”

Despite living with the pandemic becoming the ‘new normal’ for most Australians, many in the music industry are still struggling due to decreased wages and ticket sales, increased competition for work, the risk of getting COVID-19 and having to cancel or postpone shows, and the subsequent decline in mental health.

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In a recent survey undertaken by Support Act and the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne*, 73 per cent of people in the industry said they had high/very high levels of distress, 59 per cent of participants said they had experienced suicidal thoughts (four and a half times the general population) and 29 per cent had a current anxiety condition, which is double that of the general Australian population.

Over the past two years, thanks to the support of donors along with funding from the Australian and NSW Governments, Support Act has disbursed more than 16,000 Crisis Relief Grants valued at close to $40million, and provided mental health and wellbeing support to tens of thousands of music and live performing arts workers in need. Those funds have now been expended, and the charity is calling on peoples’ support again to continue its essential work.

For further information or to make a donation, visit supportact.org.au.

*Mental Health and Wellbeing in Music and Live Performing Arts survey, May 2022.