Nine Gunditjmara musicians from southwest Victoria have been invited to perform at the 2026 Share the Spirit Festival in Melbourne/Naarm on 26 January, in Victoria’s longest running First Peoples festival.
This opportunity is supported by a generous $2,000 donation from Warrnambool’s Fletcher Jones Family Foundations to support Songlines Aboriginal Music Corporation, Victoria’s peak body for First Nations music.
The Share the Spirit Festival is a major celebration of First Peoples culture held annually by Songlines in Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens. The festival showcases some of the strongest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, dance and storytelling from across the country.
The southwest artists that the donation will support are Brett Clark, Lee Morgan performing with two local band members alongside Andy Alberts and the Walkabouts.
Together, these three acts represent a powerful and diverse snapshot of the rich First Nations music scene flourishing across the southwest region.
Songlines recently reached out to Regional Arts Victoria (RAV) after a previously anticipated commitment to support travel and accommodation costs fell through just weeks before the festival. While the festival had been programmed in line with available resources, this late change created a funding gap at a time when rising production and security costs are placing increasing pressure on event budgets. Songlines Director, Bradley Brown said,
“In the current social environment, security costs alone are significant, on top of staging, production and artist fees. That makes it incredibly difficult to simply cut back elsewhere while still ensuring artists are paid properly and supported with safe travel and accommodation. The Fletcher Jones Family Foundations’ generosity has come at a crucial moment.”
Bradley also highlighted the exceptional strength of First Nations musical talent emerging from the southwest, noting that the region is “overrepresented in the best possible way” on this year’s Share the Spirit bill.
“The depth and quality of First Nations musicians coming out of the southwest is extraordinary. It’s a region brimming with storytellers, songwriters and performers whose voices deserve to be heard on major stages. We’re proud that so much of this year’s program reflects that richness.”
The Fletcher Jones Family Foundations’ donation will ensure all nine local musicians can travel to Melbourne to perform. Executive Officer, Lisa McLeod said,
“When RAV asked us if we’d support these local musicians to access this opportunity, it was a no-brainer for our trustees. Helping local musicians share their talents and reach new audiences in Naarm helps to celebrate and share the southwest story across the state”
RAV welcomed the donation and acknowledged the collaborative effort required to keep opportunities like this accessible for regional artists. Stacey Barnes, RAV’s Regional Manager, South West said,
“This is a wonderful example of how local philanthropy, arts organisations and community partners can come together to create real outcomes for regional First Nations artists. We’re deeply grateful to the Fletcher Jones Family Foundations and Songlines for ensuring these musicians can take their place on such an important national stage.”
The Share the Spirit Festival will take place on 26 January 2026 from 12:00pm-6:30pm at Treasury Gardens, Melbourne, and is free to attend.
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Media Contact: Kate Gerritsen | 0415 210 197 | [email protected]
Image: Share the Spirit Festival 2025, photograph: Benny Clark