SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE 2025
Meet the 4 artists/bands and 4 hype people who have been invited to participate in our carefully curated program, which includes intensive mentoring, song development, recording sessions, video content, and live performance opportunities.
This free, end-to-end six-month program aims to provide valuable support to talented musicians from the outer suburbs of Melbourne, helping you overcome barriers to succeed in the Australian music industry.
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 in City of Casey and beyond
MARTHA
Martha is a self-taught vocalist with a unique voice and vision blending elements of rap, R&B, Afro, and neo-soul to create music that resonates across generations and cultures. Raised with South Sudanese traditions of hard work and focus, music has been a quiet yet powerful force that evolved into a calling. Her artistry is rooted in authenticity, empowerment, and the belief that music can be both a healing and transformative movement.
Follow- @itssmarthag
ACP
ACP is a hard-hitting freestyle rapper and lyricist of Fijian Indian descent, representing Melbourne’s South-East. With over a decade of experience in performance and dance, he is constantly evolving with his craft and breaking barriers, while helping support and push the local scene forward. ACP is one to watch.
Follow - @acp91
JORDZ
DJ, producer and vocalist Jordz is a Melbourne-based dynamic go-getter. Immersed in the melodic/progressive house and indie-dance scene, her passion is to bring people together and make a positive impact throughout all avenues of music.
Follow- @jordzaus
KIID KODA
Kiid Koda is an expressive MC whose melodic flows are shaped in stillness, moving to his own frequency. Melbourne raised with Mauritian roots, his style is raw and versatile, guided by something deeper.
Follow - @kiid_koda
HYPE PEOPLE
DJ Verse@ille
Verse@ille is a Melbourne-based, South African born global DJ and music producer. With over 18 years of industry experience, he has established himself as a prominent community figure supporting grassroots activation while expertly blending multiple genres into his music productions and live performances - Truly living up to his name, Verse@ille.
David
Kicks king and hype-hustler David has music flowing through his veins. From his early career as a classical musician, to touring with some of the world’s biggest hip-hop and R&B artists, he aims to amplify every beat Jordz drops.
KVKA
KVKA is a Zambian Australian creative who remains a powerful voice in the local music landscape, encouraging creators and listeners to connect with their own journeys of growth and identity.
Joy
Joy believes in the power of music. She wants to support, listen, encourage, and remind her sister Martha, that she’s not alone regardless of the trials and tribulations she faces. Joy believes the great potential Martha possesses, and wants to walk beside her as she takes that step forward towards developing her passion into a new career.
PRODUCERS
ALICE IVY
Alice Ivy is an ARIA-nominated, and multi award wining songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and artist. Since launching her project in 2015, Alice Ivy has released three studio albums, performed over 400 shows across four continents, and amassed more than 85 million streams worldwide. When Alice Ivy is not focussed on her own project she lends her songwriting and production skills to a variety of Australian and international artists..
JOELISTICS
Producer, rapper, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist, Joelistics is co-founder of foundational Australian Hip Hop group TZU, and the producer behind some incredible success including that of iconic Mo’Ju, and Haiku Hands is recognised as a unique voice in the Australian music scene with a reputation for innovation and sonic experimentation.
UNO STEREO
Naarm-based producer & songwriter UNO Stereo (Nic Martin) is a Grammy nominated, ARIA winning, industry pioneer, whose undistilled love for Hip-Hop & Soul music, UK Garage, disco, soul, new jack swing, samba & sample-based trip hop creating a collaborative canvas for artists & beloved musicians can be heard on multi-platinum selling records from artists including 360, illy, Khalid, Wale, Denzel Curry, Sampa The Great, and more.
SENSIBLE J
Sensible J is an Australian/South African multi instrumentalist known for being a wiz on the kit and MPC. As a co-AMP Prize winner, ARIA Award nominee and Triple J unearthed artist of the year, J has worked with some incredible artists, including the likes of Sampa The Great (exec producing BBE9), Cool Out Sun, Jordan Rakei, REMI, Hau Latukefu, Children of Zeus, Lady 6, VV Brown, Liam Bailey and a plethora of other world class artists locally and abroad.
MENTORS
Hannah Fox
Hannah is an artist, curator and festival director with a focus on sound art, large-scale public art, contemporary music and live art. Prior to her role as RISING Co-Artistic Director, Hannah worked as Artistic Associate at Melbourne Festival; and as the Associate Creative Director of Dark Mofo.
Her broad spectrum of work has included performance interventions for the Tate Modern, a Janes Addiction stage show, and choreographing cranes and forklifts for a large-scale car stunt show. She’s a founding member of the creative partnership Supple Fox, which currently collaborates with artist Byron J Scullin on work including the large-scale, outdoor sonic artwork Siren Song, which continues to be remounted in cities around the world.
Anika Luna
Anika Luna is a Triple J Unearthed Community Producer who has spent countless years volunteering, and interning in various industry strongholds including, youth-centric radio station SYN Media, 3RRR, Here For Good, The Push, while studying a Bachelor of Professional Media & communications at RMIT broadening her skill sin the areas of PR, Media, Journalism and advertising. Anika prides herself in avid enthusiasm and infectious energy passion and creativity.
Carl Pires
Carl Pires is a prominent artist advocate based between Melbourne and London, known for his management expertise and tour direction. Carl has worked with high-profile artists such as Joey Bada$$, Rapsody, Princess Nokia, Sampa the Great, Kaiit and DJ PGZ. He is particularly passionate about enabling them to shift the culture forward and shape personal and political moments.He also runs a consultancy working with the next generation of artists and recently joined Thinking Loud, a PR and experiential agency, as Creative Projects Manager where he brings creative visions to life with high-value technical production and multi-level experiential strategies..
Monique Matosic
Monique Matosic is the Director of Broken Leg, a Melbourne-based PR agency renowned for delivering tailor-made campaigns for artists and creative brands. Her resolute belief in the power of real connections and real communities serves as the foundation of the agency's approach, solidifying its reputation as a catalyst for meaningful engagement.
Her artists have been featured on the pages and airwaves of prominent platforms worldwide, including BBC Radio, Complex, triple j, Wonderland, Okayplayer, Acclaim Magazine, MTV, and Apple Music. Beyond her professional achievements, Monique is a fierce advocate for the artists she partners with, championing their unique visions and safeguarding their creative journeys.
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.
FILM MAKERS
Paul Huynh
Paul’s background in anthropology and his love of visual arts allows him to explore stories and culture through a creative lens. As a founding member of iconic film collective 76m, his career as a director and cinematographer has led him to work with some of Australia’s most talented artists, as well as a few international names, creating music videos, documentaries and short films. With a borderline addiction to hummus, you can find him in search of good food, good books and good conversation with people from all walks of life
Emily Seif
Emily Seif is a multidisciplinary artist, working as a Film Director and Photographer based in Melbourne.
Driven by love for people, culture and diverse art forms, Emily's portfolio celebrates the richness of everyday characters & vibrancy of communities. From documentary to commercial projects, her work is underpinned with an infectious energy whilst holding space for intimacy, inviting viewers to connect.
Nick Rae
Nick Rae is a film maker known for uniting diverse talents and spearheading impactful projects.
His focus is on empowering youth through film, highlighting mental health journeys. Nick's work exemplifies the positive synergy between art, mental health, and community support."
Sam Biddle
After dropping out halfway through a master's in International Development Sam got his start in the non-for-profit space working at Oxfam. He then transitioned to ASRC as a content producer, directing visual campaigns and producing a photobook titled, 'Seeking Asylum: Our Stories'.
For the past two years, Sam has freelanced full-time as a photographer, videographer and communications specialist in the the non-profit space.
GRID Series South East Melbourne is proudly supported Creative Australia, Bunjil Place, Victorian Music Development Office and Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne