CALLING ALL ARTISTS FROM NEWCASTLE

For the very first time, we are bringing our Artist Development Program to Newcastle, Australia.

APPLICATION ARE NOW OPEN

Our free program is an end-to end process, cutting through the noise to provide you access to a huge range of resources, activities and connections that will expand your creative work and remove barriers for you to realise your artistic ambition.

Artists involved in the program receive:

• a fully produced, mixed and mastered track, made in collaboration with one of the program’s producers. Across 4 x full day studio sessions, you will be working intimately with your producer to craft a song and sound that best represents you and your story;

• intensive one-on-one mentoring with the music industry’s sharpest minds to help you build pathways for your work to connect with audiences;

• an artist documentary film, made in collaboration with a collective of the industry’s most in-demand directors to deep dive into your personal story as an artist providing audiences a window into your creative world;

• live performance opportunities in Newcastle and beyond

Accompanying you along the journey will be your “hype person” - a friend/collaborator/community member nominated by you to join you in all the program’s activities. They could be an artist themselves, have an interest in content creation, music business or might be looking to level-up their knowledge and skills in the creative industries. They’ll be joining you as an extra layer of support throughout the program.

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be accepted into the program, you:

• live/work/create/ in the Region of Newcastle

• are 18 years of age or over

• write your own original music

• are able to bring along a friend/family or community member to participate in all the program’s activities…they will be your nominated ‘hype person’

• are available on the key dates for the GRID Series Newcastle Program

• have completed the application form

KEY DATES

• Monday July 27, 2026

  Applications close

• Monday August 17 - Friday August 28, 2026

  Shortlisted applicant interviews

• Wednesday September 9, 2026

  Program Launch/meet and greet event (6:00pm to 8:00pm)

• Saturday September 12 - Sunday September 13, 2026

  Mentoring Days (9am to 5pm)

• September 14 through to December 14, 2026

  Across this 13-week period, you will have 4 x full day studio sessions with your matched producer to work on your new track. The sessions will take place in both Newcastle and Sydney. You will also have 2 x full day film shoots with our documentary team to create your artist documentary in and around Newcastle

  (6 days total)

• January - February 2027

  Live performance TBA

• Saturday March 6, 2027

  Single launch party

• May 2027

  Live performance TBA

Please have a read of our terms and conditions before applying. You can read them here

PRODUCERS

Antonia Gauci is an engineer, mixer, producer, songwriter and artist who’s credits are astounding, having worked with artists including Kesha, Lil’ Yachty, What So Not, Troye Sivan, DMAs and more. She has made it a priority to feed that knowledge back into her musical community, becoming a mentor to aspiring artists and music professionals through the New Age Noise/All Girl Electronic program,, AIR’s Women In Music Mentoring program, as well as running workshops for Electronic Music Conference, Music NSW, Music SA, APRA SongMakers and NATSIMO’s Resonate program.

Listen to Antonia’s work

Originally from Newcastle, Jayteehazard is one of Australia’s most proficient and in-demand producers, DJs and songwriters. An artist who harnesses an unbeatable ability to create unique soundscapes and immersive musical atmospheres, Jayteehazard has continued to carve out a sound that is undeniably his own. Producing for Hilltop Hoods, Haiku Hands, Barkaa, Kobie Dee and more, Jayteehazard has been refining his skills as a performer, writer and producer for over ten years.

Listen to Jayteehazard’s work

Assembler Code is distinguished through a catalogue of authentic productions, ultra-high energy DJ sets and live performances, traversing the likes of electro, techno, IDM and breaks seamlessly. Time in the lab as an audio engineer alongside his love for machines lends AC his reputation for pounding drums, razor-sharp sound design, and a focus always on character and groove. The timelessness of AC’s productions is evidenced through plays by music history titans such as Aphex Twin, DJ Stingray and Helena Hauff.

Listen to Assembler Code’s work

Mitta is head of audio at Tommirock Newcastle, spending many years recording and mixing predominantly metal, rock, pop, country-rock and hip hop artists, working with various label and independent artists such as Roxferry, Eat Your Heart Out, Thy Art Is Murder, Collidescope, Boo Seeka, Ben Gillies (Silverchair), Vacations and more. Known for big drums, loud and bombastic mixes, Mitta’s productions are in your face and impossible to ignore.

Listen to Mitta’s work

Heath Johns became Managing Director of BMG Australia in early 2016. Previously he was the Director of A&R at Universal Music Publishing Group Australia, having joined the company in February 2003 after a stint in A&R at BMG Records.

Heath has signed a number of domestically and internationally successful songwriters including Jet, Wolfmother, The Living End, Guy Sebastian, Children Collide, Dead Letter Circus, The Butterfly Effect, Jessica Mauboy, Snob Scrilla, Daniel Merriweather, The Veronicas, M-Phazes, Peking Duk, Passenger, The Potbelleez, 360, Passenger, Bag Raiders, Marvin Priest, Sietta, Aston Shuffle, Dope Lemon, Chet Faker, Angus and Julia Stone, Crowded House and Redcoats.

Kirsty Lee Akers is a proud Wonnarua First Nations woman with immense experience and achievements within the International Country Music Industry. Releasing her first EP at just 15 using money earnt busking at Tamworth Country Music Festival, Kirsty is currently the only artist in history to win 3 major Australian Country Music Awards – Telstra Road to Discovery (2006); Toyota Starmaker (2007); and 2 Golden Guitars (Best New Talent in 2008, Vocal Collaboration of the Year in 2021). Kirsty has lived in Nashville, working with highly acclaimed producers Byron Hill, Trey Bruce, Jeremy Spillman, Jerry Salley, Tia Sellers and Angelina Presten. Her 2016 album ‘Burn Baby Burn’ reached #1 on the ARIA Country Music charts. With over 3 million Spotify streams, and more than 350,000 music video views, in 2022 Kirsty Lee Akers was inducted into the “Hands of Fame” alongside Slim Dusty, Keith Urban and Troy Cassar-Daley.

Gary Seeger has been involved in the music industry for 30+ years. He cut his teeth at the record labels: CBS and PolyGram before making the move to music publishing. He was Creative Manager for PolyGram Music Publishing Australia creating opportunities in the film and TV industries.  He expanded his role when he moved to the Festival Mushroom Group, working both label and publishing sync opportunities.  During this time, Gary negotiated deals for artists including the Bob Marley catalogue, Marc Bolan, Nick Cave and Powderfinger.

seegerMUSIC has music supervised over 50 productions,  including: The Sapphires, Rake, Jack Irish, The Invisible Man, Wolf Creek 2, Back Snow 2, Colin From Accounts and I Am Woman. Gary’s current role outside seegerMUSIC, is Creative Director for the oldest global independent music publisher, Peermusic. 

FILM MAKERS

Nick Sullivan is an award winning filmmaker working internationally acrossfilm, commercials, and storytelling projects. He began his career producing music television for Channel [V] and MTV, and has since directed campaigns for Samsung, Doordash and Netflix, also collaborating on art-driven projects withTones and I, Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers and Hermitude. Story is at the heart of everything he makes. His films have screened at SXSW Sydney, Berlin Fashion Film Festival, Melbourne Comedy Festival and St Kilda Film Festival. Much of his inspiration traces back to his hometown of Newcastle, the people, the scenery, and the working class culture that shaped how he sees the world.

Wanagi Zable-Andrews is a Newcastle-based photographer and videographer embedded within the local music community, working closely with artists across live performance, press imagery, music videos, and documentary storytelling. He produces profile-based video work exploring artists’ process, identity, and creative practice. Through this, his work has become a trusted, go-to within the Newcastle scene for capturing artists in a way that feels authentic, grounded, and representative of who they are. Has produced music videos for local heavyweights including Piper Butcher, The Appointments, Gambirra Mob and lupo.theboy.

Holly Clayton is a collaborative creative director and producer, weaving joy and meaning into her work. Music and narrative-driven are the foundations of her work which spans campaigns, commercials, series and documentary. For the past six years she has predominantly focussed on social and human-interest documentary work. Travelling the world producing content for international NGOs whilst mentoring young creatives on ethical storytelling practices, producing under-represented stories within global humanitarian contexts. Her approach is organic, playful and intentional, with a strong cinematic visual style.

Jye Currie is an Australian director, producer, and founder of Green Frog Productions. After documenting stories and cultures across more than 80 countries as a photographer, he transitioned into filmmaking, bringing a distinctive human-focused perspective to his work. His films have screened internationally, won multiple awards, and been released on platforms including Stan and Apple TV. Through Green Frog Productions, Currie develops, produces, and distributes feature films and documentaries, with a focus on emotionally powerful stories that create lasting impact both on screen and beyond.