CALLING ALL MUSIC MAKERS FROM OUTER PERTH.…EOI NOW OPEN

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Outer Perth Artist Development Program 2025. EOIs are now open.

This free, end-to-end six-month program aims to provide valuable support to talented musicians from the outer suburbs of Perth, helping you overcome barriers to succeed in the Australian music industry.

Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the program are now open and will close on July 1 2025, with four artists or bands selected, along with your nominated hype person, a member of your community who aspire to work in the industry, to participate in this exclusive opportunity.

Our free program cuts through the noise to provide you with 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.

Each artist will 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 closely with a 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 all across Perth including major festivals

KEY DATES

  • Tuesday July 1, 2025

    Applications close

  • Monday August 4 to Friday August 15

    Shortlisted artists and hype people to attend interview with GRID Series team online

  • Wednesday September 10 (6pm to 8pm)

    Program meet & greet event @ The Recabite

  • Saturday September 13 and Sunday September 14

    Mentoring seminar (2 x full days between 9am and 5pm)

  • Monday September 15 until Tuesday December 23

    Across this 6-week period, you will have 4 x full day studio sessions with your matched producer to work on your new track. You will also have 2 x full day film shoots with our documentary team to create your artist documentary in and around City of Perth

    (6 days total)

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

 
 

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be accepted into the program, you:

  • live/work/create/ in Outer Perth

    The areas included in our EOI are the cities of Kwinana, Melville, Belmont, Stirling, Swan, Armadale, Mandurah/Peel, Wanneroo, Serpentine, and Joondalup and all the suburbs within those Local Government areas. For a full list of eligible suburbs, click here;

  • 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 GRID Series Outer Perth

  • have completed the application form. Please note the questions in the application form have been designed for you to be able to address the selection criteria through simply answering the questions. If however, you find it easier to look at the selection criteria as you answer the questions, you can find that here

  • be 18 years of age or older

  • write your own original music

  • you (and your hype person) have not participated in one of our programs before

Delivered by

PRODUCERS

 
 
 

ELISE REITZE-SWENSEN (AKA FEELS)

Elise Reitze-Swensen (AKA Feels) is a multi-award-winning composer, producer, and gender equality activist from Perth, Western Australia. Elise has established a signature voice in electronic music—being described as “some of the most intricate and refined pieces of electronic music to emerge from Australia in, well, ever” (Purple Sneakers). Elise’s duo Feels (est. 2016) has toured nationally and internationally (highlights include, Festivals: Grampians, Listen Out, Laneway, Falls, Groovin the Moo, Melbourne Fashion, SXSW (US), and Ableton Loop (Berlin), Supports: G Flip, Orbital, Kimbra, Unknown Mortal Orchestra). Elise founded WOMPP in 2017—now a community of over 700 womxn music producers. WOMPP’s annual songwriting camp (est. 2022), is the only songwriting camp specifically for womxn producers at any stage in their career in Australia.

DAZASTAH

Dazastah is a powerhouse producer, performer, and educator from Perth, Western Australia, blending electronic and acoustic elements to craft hard-hitting hip-hop beats. A core member of Downsyde and a frequent collaborator with Drapht, Layla, and the SBX crew, he’s also worked with legends like Hilltop Hoods, A.B. Original, Funkoars, Kerser, Guru of Gang Starr, Mystro, and Task Force. Known for his high-energy live performances, he plays drums live and specializes in seamlessly mixing live drums with backing tracks. Beyond the studio, he brings soundscapes to life in theatre with Marrugeku and Yirra Yaakin and mentors emerging artists through Gascoyne in May. Now lecturing at TAFE Leederville and leading Creality’s “blood beats program” for young Indigenous talent, Dazastah continues to shape the future of music.

JCAL

Jack Calneggia, professionally known as ‘JCAL,’ has been an integral part of the Australian music scene for the past eight years, working as a producer, writer, sound engineer, music director, and manager. He has collaborated with some of Australia’s most exciting artists, including Ziggy Ramo, Gold Fang, Dante Knows, Christine Anu, Tuka (Thundamentals), Your Girl Pho, Harry Hilfiger, Tasman Keith, xmunashe, Teischa, MALI JO$E, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Chiseko, and many others. A WAM-nominated producer, the artists JCAL has worked with have collectively achieved over 10 million streams.

In the live music space, JCAL has also made a significant impact. Notably, he served as music director, production manager, and drummer for Go-Jo during his North American tour supporting Tash Sultana. In the same year, he music-directed and drummed for Ziggy Ramo’s debut Triple J Like a Version performance featuring Christine Anu.

CONOR LAWSON

Conor Lawson is a versatile music producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Perth. With a passion for polished production, he has worked with a diverse range of artists, including Julia Stone, Adrian Dzvuke, Beckah Amani & Slumberjack. Known as one of the go-to producers in the scene, he brings a creative, collaborative approach to every project, helping artists shape their vision and bring their music to life.

MENTORS

Flewnt

Joshua “FLEWNT” Eggington is an award winning, Proud Nyoongar Wongi rapper from Boorloo (Perth). With a strong family legacy rooted in activism. Flewnt uses his raw Hip Hop flow and modern-day musings as his platform to articulate a powerful, positive, and uplifting message for his people.

FLEWNT’s musical journey continues to evolve and inspire. He has played major Australian Music Festivals, the Sydney Opera House, represented Australia at SXSW Austin in Texas, helped put SXSW Sydney on the map; FLEWNTS Boorloo Block Party goes from strength to strength with a regional tours, rap battles and a main event as part of Perth Festival with artist selected to perform going on to feature on Triple J. FLEWNT is a multiple award nominee and winner including WAM song of the year, WAM best indigenous and appeared on Global smash show America’s Got Talent with his son INKABEE and continues to break down barriers elevating First Nations people globally.

N’fa Forster-Jones

N'fa F-Jones is an Australian/Sierra-Leonean music artist, university lecturer, workshop facilitator, documentary producer, and CLOCK sector expert. N'fa's journey in the music industry began with his 2002 ARIA award-winning Hip Hop band “1200 Techniques,” which played a crucial role in solidifying the Australian Hip Hop movement. Touring both locally and internationally with his multi-award nominated Afro-beat group “Cool Out Sun”, N'fa has gathered a wealth of experience and cultural insight. His commitment to the local musical community aims to inspire and nurture the diverse landscape of Australian music and industry experts.

Linda Iriza

Linda Iriza is a Rwandan people weaver, creative producer and a community-aunty-in-training currently living on Whadjuk Country. Her work navigates African methodologies, ways of being and frameworks of collectiveness. Spanning across producing intimate writing workshops to large music gatherings, they continue to find ways of honouring traditions of dreaming up expansive worlds. She currently works with Perth Festival as a Producer and has previously worked for Fremantle Arts Centre, Arts House, Studio Kiin and Community Arts Network. Iriza is interested in learning more about the art of storytelling, Indigenous approaches to anti-colonial resistance, afropresentism and intersectional feminist work.

Tom Supple

Thomas Supple is an artist and curator working in the field of contemporary music, ephemeral installation, and sound.

An experienced cultural consultant, Thomas has unique experience in major festival direction, cultural destination events and site-specific installation. A graduate of the University of Melbourne Law School, he was a former founding curator for Dark Mofo, MONA (2013-2019), and has an ongoing curatorial appointment at Carriageworks, (SYD).

Thomas has curated programs for both Melbourne Festival (2010-2012) and Perth Festival (2021-2023) and regularly provides advice for peak bodies, government agencies and private business alike. He has worked with a slew of International and Australian artists, including World premiere performances from Nicolas Jaar (Against All Logic) and Antony & The Johnsons. Along with key Australian premiere performances from Bjork (Cornucopia), FKA Twigs, Jonsi & Alex, Einstürzende Neubauten, St Vincent and Tanya Tagaq.

Tani Webb

Tani, a Papua New Guinean with Mekeo and Popondetta roots is a founding director of Boorloo based West Australian music business FN Focus. The FN Focus Fam are First Nations and Aboriginal owned with Tani guiding Artist Development and Music Management. Her passion is great music and developing an unforgettable live show. Tani believes that to create and make the most of great moments artists need great music, passionate people who believe in them, and an evolving plan where artist profile and personal branding, combined with innovative ideas, aligned with national and international connections are all equally vital in making those moments and maximising the opportunities they create.

 

FILM MAKERS

Duncan Wright

Duncan Wright is a Western Australian photographer, Director, artist and the founder of West End Workers Studio in Walyalup/Fremantle. Duncan works commercially across a range of clientele, and maintains an artistic practice that combines conceptual, commercial and journalistic approaches to image making. With a background working in community development, Duncan likes to immerse himself in the histories and communities of his subjects, and places great interest in the everyday people that make a place. He prides himself on creating authentic imagery, merging different ways of seeing and of processing images that draw from both historical and contemporary visual languages.

He has exhibited in various group exhibitions, including the 2021 Fremantle Art Centre Print Award in which he was a finalist. He has had two solo shows: Happiness (2021) at the Perth Centre of Photography and A Resonance, which formed part of the Fremantle Biennale 2021 program. Duncan won the 2023 Perth Centre for Photography IRIS Award for his portrait titled 'Nick, 22'.

Mikey Hamer

Mikey Hamer is a Director and DoP currently working out of Boorloo (Perth), Australia. Having worked in the industry for 19 years, Mikey had his first breakthrough in 2009, being nominated for an ARIA award for direction of Josh Pyke’s DVD, The Lighthouse. Born and raised on Australia’s east coast, where he learned his craft. His two older brothers would introduce him to the eccentric cinematic styles of auteurs like Terry Gilliam, Marinda July and David Wain, helping to mould his unencumbered creative mind.

Mikey has also worked extensively internationally as a Director & DoP on a range of Feature, Documentary, Serial Television, TVC & Music Video. He was awarded a Silver ACS award in 2021, and since then has started to work on more long-form and narrative projects, this includes his work as DoP on Season 2 of ABC program ‘Perspective Shift’, and Australian indie feature film ‘Ugly Carter’. Set for release in 2025.

Luna Laure

From the early days of making movies on her family’s hi8 video camera, Luna Laure has nurtured a unique passion for form, storytelling and compelling visuals.

With a passion for cinematography and art direction, Luna started her career making music videos (who didn’t??!), which brought together her deep love of pop culture and music. Entering the commercial world some years later, she has worked with clients and organizations such as MSWA Mega Home Lottery, UWA, Curtin University, St John, P&N Bank, Sony Music, Canteen and many more.

Luna has become recognized for her distinctive style and use of mixed-media (she sometimes gets to film commercials on 16mm film!), her bold approach and her strong focus on story.

In 2022, Luna also released Walking Man, her first longer-form documentary commissioned by the ABC.

She looks forward to creating more work that could inspire the next generation of female filmmakers. And guess what? The hi8 camera still comes out.

Jhaz Bullen Williams

Jhaz Bullen-Williams is a director based in Boorloo (Perth), Australia. Her work explores the surreal and the unexpected, always anchored by emotion and humour.

With a visual style defined by bold cinematography, rich art direction, and experimental sound design, Jhaz crafts worlds that feel both futuristic and nostalgic.

Constantly pushing technique and tone, her practice spans commercial campaigns, film, documentary, and the experimental. Recent work includes campaigns for Synergy and The Greens Party, and an anthology series created for architectural agency Space Oddities.

Outside of commercial work, her short documentary Silver Halide was selected for St Kilda Film Festival, while fashion-driven passion projects like Bike Girl Hit By Car and Crosswalk allow her to lean deeper into her surrealist sensibilities.

GRID Series Outer Perth is proudly supported by ther Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (WA) and Creative Australia