HomeYouth Arts and Cultural Centre

The Loft is the Youth Venue for the City of Newcastle. We provide a safe place for young people aged 12 – 25 to hang out, create, express, grow; develop arts, music and event management skills; and to socialise.

Latest News 

Shooting Tunes Music Video Competition

Entries are now open for Newcastle's first music video clip competition from May 1 to June 27 with an awards night and screening event on Friday 27 July. 

The comp is open to local videographers between the ages of 12-25 with some awesome equipment from RODE Microphones & Audio Technica plus recording/rehearsal packages up for grabs from The Studio Newcastle. 

Video artists are encouraged to team up with their favourite local bands and acts can also submit their music to our library to be used by video producers.

Entry forms are available for download HERE.

Bands wanting to submit tracks to the music library need to do so via our soundcloud page

For more info & details contact theloft@ncc.nsw.gov.au or head to www.facebook.com/shootingtunes for more info.

The Dave Arkless Memorial Artistic Encouragement Program

This fund is open to young people aged 12-25 years of age living in the Newcastle LGA who have a creative or community project they would like to undertake. If you have an idea for a project or event you would like to pursue, or if you want to expand your own artistic skills or help the community,the fund can help make this happen.

There is $5000 available to support your project ideas, with mentoring provided by Loft staff to help you achieve them.

Applications for 2012 open in April, let us know if you need more information, or keep an eye on this page. Contact Fiona Whitton on 4974 2099 or fwhitton@ncc.nsw.gov.au for more details.

Loft Gigs Program 2012

The Loft music events team is cooking up a heap of events for 2012 including:

• Sun Sounds Beach gigs in March supported by NSW Cancer Council and featuring live bands, DJ’s and acoustic acts at local beaches
• the Free For All Event series from June-September offers spots for 20 local bands to perform Live at The Loft
• Shooting Tunes – all-ages video clip competition, supported by Indent Music NSW. It will offer great prizes to local bands and their fans to submit video clips across a range of categories from May to July . An awards night with live performances and finalist screenings will be held on Friday 13 July  at The Loft
• Shipwrecked Music Festival returns to Newcastle Foreshore on Saturday 8 December to rock your world with three stages packed full of top local and national bands and acoustic acts. Supported by Indent Music NSW, LiveSites and The Loft
• amassive array of touring & local acts will be flowing through the venue this year presented by a variety of promoters & touring companies.

The Events team meets every Wednesday at the Loft from 4 to5.30pm and is a great way to get involved in the Loft's music and events programming.

Upcoming Events