CMVic aims to facilitate the development of the skills, opportunities and networks necessary for participatory and accessible music-making to be available to all Victorians, whatever their skills or background. More here. Making music together is a great entry point into creativity and results in profound benefits to individual and community health and well-being. We deliver this mission by focussing our activities around four major goals:

Goals

Goal 1: Leadership and Skills: Facilitate and support the ongoing development and sustainability of skilled community music leaders in Victoria, so that they increase in number and have the skills, credibility, and opportunity to lead established groups and initiate new, diverse activities.

Goal 2: Participation: Increase participation in community music-making, focusing particularly on those new to participatory music making, and on diverse, marginalised, and disadvantaged groups.

Goal 3: Advocacy: Expand our role as the peak body for community music in Victoria, fostering understanding of the value of music making in daily life, establishing participatory music-making as a common element of arts, education, community health and broader government strategies.

Goal 4: Sustainability: CMVic continues to grow as an inclusive, effective organisation

How we deliver our goals:

• Events and workshops: Usually organised as half or full day workshops, but also full residential weekends, these are planned with one (or more) of the following objectives: sharing leadership skills; sharing music resources; creating opportunities for participatory music making; and providing broad networking opportunities between community music leaders across the state.

• Networking: Face-to-face or virtual meeting places and activities, facilitated by CMVic, where leaders share their experiences, seek advice, and create new initiatives.

• Leadership resources: We continue to collect and develop resources to support leaders and make these readily available on our website. These include leadership skills best practice; online modules; and publications from international research.

• Mentoring and advice: CMVic often arranges for emerging leaders who are setting up or running a group to be supported by experienced community music leaders. Such support may be provided either remotely or face to face.

• Repertoire resources: CMVic has increasingly developed and implemented initiatives leading to new collections of songs and music suitable for use by community music groups. These may be developed through our own projects, or through others’ efforts, and are made available through our online store, and through the compilation of information on other sources of repertoire.

• Communications and social media: Use of the CMVic website, eNews, Facebook, closed discussion groups, and Blog have provided up to date information on events, music groups, new projects, music resources, community music developments, and more broad networking and skills sharing

• Strategic communications: Build an influential voice and presence within Victoria, including with government, and with both arts and non-arts-based organisations

• Research: Keep up to date with community music developments worldwide, including recognised training courses and qualifications

• Projects in partnership: We have increasingly established new projects in partnership with organisations who represent specific social groupings, specific regional interests, or who have complementary skills and experience. Such partnerships often lead to additional project funding.

• Fundraising: Undertake a variety of fundraising activities, including: events, monthly giving, donations, online store for sale of music resources.