Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with NIMA creative director Ben Gratez

Transcript

Katie Woolf spoke with NIMA creative director Ben Gratez · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: But we have learned this morning that the National Indigenous
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Music Awards have been rescheduled or they're going to have
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: to be postponed. And joining us on the line right
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: now is the National Indigenous Music Awards Creative director Ben Gratz.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Good morning to you.
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: Ben, Good morning Katie. Oh Ben.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: I'm so sorry to hear for you guys that the
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: National Indigenous Music Awards have had to be postponed. I
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: know that you've all been working so hard on organizing them.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's been it's been a pretty techtic ride
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: to get here, and particularly the last couple of months,
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: but everything going on down south, you know, it was
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: a real real challenge to try and work out what
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: to do. But you know, I think we've made the
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: best decision for everyone involved at this stage.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: So why in the end did that decision have to
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: be made that it would really have to be postponed?
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: Is it because of the situation Interstate?
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Look, really, our show has a lot of moving
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: part so we engage over fifteen different artists from all
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: different parts of Interstate. One of our major broadcast stakeholders
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: is from Sydney, and then we obviously have the finalists
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: and nominees as well, So you know, like we want
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: to put on the best show that we can and
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: honor our musicians, and you know, we just felt that
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: the show was going to be sacrificed because of the
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: restrictions happening down south and being able to people being
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: able to get to Darwin.
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: Really, yeah, it's such a tough one and I know that,
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: you know, there'd be other events that are in similar situations.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: Other you know, just so many businesses and so many
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: are impacted by the lockdowns into state. Even though we're
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: not in lockdown ourselves, sometimes we don't think about the
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: ramifications and how deep they run.
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: No, particularly you know, with something like us where we are,
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: as I mentioned before, we are working with so many
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: different parts of our national community that a national event
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: like this is really impacted heavily by the effects of COVID.
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: And you know, this year, you know, in terms of
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: our sector, we were working towards recovery. I think a
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: lot of industries are working towards recovery, and I think
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: that you know a lot of sectors in industries have
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: been hit really hard by this. Both we're just really
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: happy that we can actually postpone it. To later in
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: the year because we have such a great show to
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: be able to show everyone and also to engage, you know,
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: our musicians and most importantly honor our First Nation musicians
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: that have have had a really tough year as well.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: Yeah, now, been the event was scheduled for August seven.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: Any idea of when it's going to be rescheduled too
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: or is it too early to tell at this point?
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: Too early at this stage because we just want to
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: want to monitor and let things kind of just settle
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: down a bit. But you know, definitely, I think once
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: we get through August, I think we're going to reassess
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: and also look at, you know, then what's possible later
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: on in the year. Particularly we've got a lot of
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: obstacles up here in Dahaneh, including the and the wet season,
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: so you know, looking at what that event might look like,
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: is somethink that we'll be talking about.
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, Ben Gratz, like I said, we're all sorry
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: to hear that it has had to be postponed, but
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: I think that most territories would be pretty understanding and
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: and you know, anybody that was planning on traveling here
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: for it as well would certainly be pretty understanding of
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: the situation. There's so many moving parts for so many
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: different different events and different people at this point in time.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: So I'm sure when the neimas do happen, they're going
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: to be bigger and better than ever.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, and we're really excited about, you know, bringing
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: those at a later date, so you know, stay tuned.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: Yes, absolutely good on you, Ben, Thanks so much for
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: the chat this morning.
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: That's been Gratz there, who is the National Indigenous Music
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: Awards Creative Director,