- What is the Artists Booking Service?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- ABS Teaching Database
- Forms to Download
Contact the Artists Booking Service on +61 3 9685 9080 or click here to email us directly
The Artists Booking Service is an employment and professional development program administered through the Knowledge Transfer Unit of the VCA faculty of the University of Melbourne. This program is designed to help VCA students and graduates gain employment in the area of their arts specialisation. Equally important, the Artists Booking Service (ABS) provides an opportunity for students and graduates to develop and gain a range of professional skills and experiences.
The ABS functions in many ways similarly to a booking agency. The Service fields a diverse range of inquiries from individuals and organisations seeking artists. The ABS administers the booking process, assists the client in the selection of appropriate artists, and books a VCA student or graduate to fulfill the engagement. In addition to facilitating arts related employment, the ABS is equally devoted to ensuring VCA graduates have the professional skills to maintain a career in the Arts. The supply of professional skills development and career advice occurs in multifarious formats: through one-on-one interviews, the supply of written guides and the coordination of seminar and training sessions. In order to receive paid work from the ABS, an artist must fulfill a number of professional skills requirements (all of which are reasonable professional expectations within their chosen field), and the ABS will ensure that artists have access to the skill development opportunities to fulfill these. Ongoing professional skills development occurs as each artist completes engagements with the ABS. Additionally, all artists are required to complete a contract that outlines the conditions of an ABS engagement.
Whilst providing employment opportunities is an important aspect of the ABS’ role, the development of your professional skills and materials is equally so. Forging a career in the arts can be a struggle; the ABS is committed to providing you with the opportunity to develop the skills that are fundamental to this process. A fully registered artist will, after numerous engagements,
- have developed their professional presentation skills
- have a wide variety of career related experience to draw upon
- have developed a range of promotional materials and
- will posses a lucid understanding of the challenges the complex relationship between 'client' and arts professional presents, and will posses a number of strategies to deal with these.
Accordingly, any artist registered with the Service must complete an initial trial engagement (at approximately fifty percent of professional rates). Following a successful trial, a registered artist will be eligible to receive standard industry rates. During this period the ABS will work with the artists to develop their professional skills and ensure regular feedback and coaching is given to artists.
Below, you will find the forms need to register with the Artists Booking Service.
Please note: you cannot register for the Service without a consultation with a member of the Artists Booking Service Staff.
How do I register?
The Artists Booking Service is located next to the Student Union in the Arts Hub. Simply meet with a member of the ABS staff for an initial briefing - staff are available for consultation on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Following this you will need to provide the ABS with a variety of promotional materials (including documentation of your work, resume, biography etc).
Why do I need to provide all these materials?
All the materials you provide to the ABS are essential to the client’s process of deciding which artist will be engaged. The materials you provide give the ABS and its clients a clear understanding of the types of performances you offer and enable them to be matched to appropriate engagements. Every piece of promotional material you produce with or provide for the ABS will be useful in your career as an arts professional. They will equip you with an essential ‘tool-box’ for a career in the arts.
Why do I have to provide an ABN?
Because you are engaged as a contractor, you are obliged to provide advice of your income to the ATO. As the ABS does not withhold tax, an ABN is essential for performing artists. You do not need to worry about GST (unless you are earning over $50 000).
How is an artist chosen for an engagement?
The appropriate artist is chosen in consultation with the client. Typically the client will broadly identify the type of performance they are seeking and the Bookings Officer will offer them a range of artists/ensembles that match. Obviously the standard of your demonstration material will have a huge impact on whether a client selects you or your ensemble for the engagement. The ABS will also consider the nature of the engagement before promoting a particular act. A high profile and complicated engagement will not, for example, be offered to a newly registered artist.
Will I ever be able to rely on the ABS for my income?
In a word, no. The ABS can never guarantee a level of income to artists.
How much can I expect to be paid?
After your registration process is complete, all engagements will be paid in accordance with the industry standards.
How long after graduation am I eligible for professional development and employment services?
The ABS recognises that the initial years after graduation present a range of challenges to performing artists. All VCA graduates are eligible for career advice and employment services for ten years after graduation.
The ABS operates a referral service for music tutors. To apply, you must be a current VCA student or have graduated within the past 10 years.
Once registered for the ABS teaching database, we will answer client enquiries with:
- your name
- your contact number/s
- your teaching instrument/s
- the area in which you teach (north, inner, etc.)
- the rate you charge for a half-hour lesson
By registering for the database, you sanction the ABS to disseminate this information on your behalf to interested parties.