Perth: An examination of the one movement for music festival which was a three to five year plan, but stopped after two

One Movement for Music was a creative industries-driven initiative which followed on from a City of Perth’s commitment to develop these industries in Western Australia (WA). It was a multi-day combination of a music business conference, plus a music festival, and was staged in Perth, WA in October 2009 and again in October 2010. The event was developed with the aim of strengthening Perth’s ties with the Asia-Pacific music market, while also positioning the city as a site of cultural capital within the region, and as a centre for the creative industries. After two years and substantial financial losses, however, One Movement for Music was cancelled, with a parliamentary inquiry launched in relation to the involvement and allocation of government funding. Questions were raised with regards to whether or not the allocation of funding had placed the state at substantial financial risk. Questions were also raised about the role of the proponents of the event with regard to their other, commercially-driven, creative industry-based, WA music activities. This paper discusses how the development and staging of the event, particularly with the support of government funding, exemplifies a changing attitude to creativity and culture in Perth, with a particular push to transform the city into a regional cultural capital and as a centre for the creative industries, while also positioning it as an attractive venue for international tourists. It also examines the role of governments in the development of events such as One Movement for Music, as well as the precarious relationship that exists between commercial entities and governments in the music industry.