Music is central to the lives of young Australians, with two-thirds attending live music performances, and 96% of young people aged 15-24 listening to recorded music.

However, access to music events is not a reality for all young people in Australia. There are fewer events in regional areas, many events come with unaffordable ticket prices, and rarely are live music events staged for underage audiences or designed to be accessible and culturally safe. Similarly, young people are also experiencing barriers when it comes to pursuing a career within the Australian music industry – with more than half of young artists considering abandoning their pursuit of a career in music.

As highlighted as a case study in the National Cultural Policy: Revive, for over three decades Australian youth music organisation The Push has been the entry point into Australian live music for millions of young people through its contemporary music programs and all-ages events.

In this session, CEO, Kate Duncan will unpack how The Push works with communities of young people across Australia – fostering a pipeline of music audiences, artists and industry practitioners.