In January 2025, THE Edge Fest, in collaboration with Tin Camp Studios and THE Hungry Spirit, delivered a bold, artist-first initiative at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Entirely self-funded by Rebel Black & Warren Mason, the project aimed to provide a supportive, accessible, and professional environment for emerging and regional artists to perform, learn, and connect in the unique busking environment of Peel Street.
In the weeks leading up to the Festival we:
Over 10 days of the Festival we:
“The support was amazing, the opportunity was the best thing ever and all in all I had so much fun.”
– Artist
“I highly recommend The Edge Fest to any emerging artist. The support, opportunities, exposure and friendship is next to none.”
– Artist
By offering not just performance slots, but also confidence-building, industry skills, and professional development pathways, THE Edge Fest has proven itself as an essential incubator for creative growth beyond age, stage and genre.
The diverse socio-demographic profile of THE Edge Fest participants at the Tamworth Country Music Festival immersion highlights the event’s unique value as a platform for equity, diversity, and professional growth. THE Edge Fest operates as a bridge between hobbyists, emerging talent, and established professionals, ensuring opportunities are available across all levels of experience. The event drew a truly diverse age range – from children to seasoned performers – highlighting music as a powerful intergenerational practice. Several family-based acts performed together, reinforcing the role of THE Edge Fest as a space where musical traditions and creativity are shared across generations.
Geographically, the Peel Street stage provided critical access for artists from regions with limited music infrastructure, including the Pilbara in WA, Outback NSW, and Alice Springs NT. This regional equity focus made Tamworth accessible to artists who might otherwise face barriers due to distance, cost, or lack of networks. For many artists, THE Edge Fest represented a first industry step – an opportunity to gain confidence, perform in a structured setting, and develop industry-ready assets. For others, it acted as a springboard into broader touring and festival circuits, extending their professional practice. Finally,THE Edge Fest amplified cultural diversity within Tamworth by welcoming international artists from New Zealand and Croatia, further expanding the festival’s global reach.
This wide spread demonstrates national and international pull and positions Edge Fest as a gateway for diverse artists into Tamworth.
The breadth of experience underscores the stage’s role as both a safe entry-level space and a professional development platform for serious artists.
The common thread was that most of the artists had never busked before so regardless of their experience level, they were first time buskers!
Edge Fest 2025 showcased a rich tapestry of musical styles and formats, reflecting the depth and breadth of creativity across regional, remote, and international artists. While country, folk, Americana, and acoustic singer-songwriter traditions anchored the program, the line-up also embraced a wide variety of influences – from the blues and jazzy grooves of Out of Abingdon (QLD), to the desert folk storytelling of Emmy Ryan (Alice Springs), the soulful folk-pop of Grace de Liseo (Wollongong), and the contemporary Indigenous songwriting of Warren Mason (Tasmania). International voices such as Marin Modrić (Croatia) and Merv Pinny (New Zealand) expanded the global reach of the stage, while WA duo Highway 95 brought original country music from the Pilbara. Performances spanned solo acts, duos, and family-based groups like the Ruston-Walkom family band, underscoring the festival’s commitment to inclusivity and artistic exploration across both genre and form.
In their EOIs and follow up testimonial and reporting artists consistently emphasised:
At its core, THE Edge Fest does Tamworth Country Music Festival 2025 was designed as an artist-first initiative, providing a supportive environment where emerging and regional musicians could access opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.
By combining structured performance slots with professional resources, mentoring, and community connection, the program not only showcased talent but also built confidence, visibility, and a sense of belonging. The result was a vibrant, inclusive and safe space that fostered artistic growth, community engagement, and wellbeing for both artists and audiences.
Environmental Impact
THE Edge Fest 2025 was delivered with a deliberately light environmental footprint, ensuring the event added cultural value to Tamworth without creating unnecessary ecological or resource impacts including:
THE Edge Fest does Tamworth 2025 generated meaningful economic outcomes for both artists and the wider Tamworth community. By creating accessible, structured opportunities for performance, the program supported artists to build income, develop valuable promotional tools, and strengthen their professional pathways. At the same time, it added vibrancy to the festival program, drawing audiences into the precinct, supporting local businesses, and raising Tamworth’s profile as a music destination. The model also demonstrated strong community commitment through self-funded delivery and in-kind investment, proving its potential to scale sustainably in future years.
Beyond the immediate festival period, THE Edge Fest 2025 generated a series of meaningful ripple effects that strengthened artist careers, community connection, and ongoing collaboration. For example, Out of Abingdon, a full-time touring duo from Queensland, specifically routed their travels through Tamworth to perform at Edge Fest, after first connecting with Tin Camp Studios at THE Hungry Spirit’s Open Mic + Headline Acts in 2023. While they had never busked before, the Edge Fest stage gave them a new experience and audience connection in a supportive environment.
Jane A Naoi (Tamworth local) not only performed at Edge Fest but went on to submit an EOI for the 2025 Tin Camp Studios season. She was selected and travelled with her family and friends to co-headline a special NAIDOC week event at THE Hungry Spirit in July 2025, performing alongside youth from Warren in what became a moving intergenerational cross cultural celebration.
Warren Mason’s presence at THE Edge Fest continues to resonate: he will tour New Zealand later in 2025, collaborating with NZ artist Merv Pinny (another Edge Fest performer) to line up shows together.
Marin Modrić, who travelled from Croatia, released his debut single soon after the festival, receiving encouragement and support from the Australian artists and audiences he met at Tamworth. Meanwhile, Phoebe Hutchison and Duncan Clark have since joined Rebel Black and Warren Mason in performing at the Sheepyard Opal Fields west of Lightning Ridge – another example of the lasting bonds formed through this platform.
These stories highlight THE Edge Fest’s ability to catalyse enduring creative relationships, touring opportunities, and cultural exchange that extend far beyond the ten days of Tamworth.
THE Edge Fest Does Tamworth 2025 was delivered with no external funding, sustained entirely through direct contributions and a significant in-kind commitment by its founding team and community. This investment highlights the dedication and resilience behind the project, and the enormous value that can be unlocked with even modest levels of partner support in future years.
Pre-Festival Preparation
Subtotal: ~100 hours.
On-the-Ground Delivery
Subtotal: ~329 hours.
On-the-Ground Delivery
Subtotal: ~329 hours.
Total Time Invested (prep + delivery): ~429 hours.
Conservatively valued at $50/hour, this equates to an in-kind labour contribution of $21,450.
In addition to labour, Rebel Black and Warren Mason also covered direct costs of accommodation, travel, gear, catering, and materials, estimated at $7,000–8,000.
Total investment leveraged: ~$29,450.
This $25,000+ investment delivered:
This demonstrates a high-value return on modest resources: every hour and dollar invested directly translated into artist opportunity, professional development, and enhanced cultural vibrancy for the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Total Time Invested (prep + delivery): ~429 hours.
Conservatively valued at $50/hour, this equates to an in-kind labour contribution of $21,450.
In addition to labour, Rebel Black and Warren Mason also covered direct costs of accommodation, travel, gear, catering, and materials, estimated at $7,000–8,000.
Total investment leveraged: ~$29,450.
THE Edge Fest does Tamworth 2025 would not have been possible without the generosity, vision, and commitment of its supporters and community.
With thanks to Kevin Anderson MP and his team, who supported the use of their front street premises and provided power and practical assistance throughout the event.
To Deanne and Montana Clonan and Steve Whalley, who hosted Rebel and Warren for the duration of the festival, helping reduce costs and offering vital family support.
We also acknowledge the Regional Arts Development Organisations (RADO) network and MusicNSW for championing the original idea, sharing information, and amplifying opportunities for artists across the state.
Enormous thanks to Warren Mason and Rebel Black for their facilitation, programming, community support, sound management, social media management, gear provision, and set-up and pack-down efforts.
Gratitude also to Donna Mason and Michael Matson for keeping the home fires burning during their absence and believing in their husband and wife.
THE Edge Fest Does Tamworth 2025 proved that with modest resources and strong vision, it is possible to deliver high-quality professional development and performance opportunities for emerging and remote artists, while simultaneously enriching the cultural vibrancy of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Delivered with a total investment of over $25,000 – the majority as in-kind labour from its founding team – the project translated every hour and dollar into tangible outcomes:
The project delivered measurable impact across three key domains:
What THE Edge Fest 2025 ultimately demonstrated is that a grassroots, artist-first model can be both cost-effective and high impact.
With the backing of partners and funders, THE Edge Fest Does Tamworth 2026 can build on this foundation to:
THE Edge Fest has proven itself to be an incubator of talent, a catalyst for collaboration, and a driver of community vibrancy.
With financial support, its impact can grow exponentially – ensuring that emerging regional and remote artists of all ages, stages and ambitions, not only have a place on Peel Street, but a pathway into the broader music industry and onto the world stage.
For us, THE Edge Fest Does Tamworth 2025 was much more than a project. It was an act of courage, creativity, and deep commitment – as artists, as community builders, and as humans.
Standing on Peel Street each day, we weren’t just programming performances; we were holding space for vulnerability, for bravery, and for possibility. We watched artists who had never busked before step up with trembling hands and walk away with new confidence and pride. We saw families play together, international voices welcomed, and strangers become collaborators. And we felt, again and again, the power of music to bridge gaps of geography, genre, culture, and generation.
As artists ourselves, this mattered deeply. We know what it feels like to be under-resourced, overlooked, or unsure where to start. To create a platform where others could be supported, celebrated, and documented – and to know that they walked away not just with applause but with professional tools, networks, and opportunities – was profoundly meaningful.
As community builders, we saw THE Edge Fest bring vibrancy to Peel Street, connection to audiences, and inspiration to local businesses and families. We saw a soft and safe space for artists to find refuge and comfort and we saw the ripple effects already unfolding: collaborations, new bookings, international tours, and friendships that will carry forward long after the festival lights fade.
And as humans, it reminded us why we do this work. It is hard, often invisible work – 429 hours of labour, long days, countless details, and the emotional labour of holding space for others- but it is also deeply rewarding. What we created was a stage of generosity, bravery and belonging.
What would it mean to have this work valued financially? It would mean we could sustain and scale it without burning out. It would mean THE Edge Fest could keep growing as an incubator of talent and a safe landing place for emerging voices. It would mean that the generosity we extended- to artists, to audiences, to Tamworth itself – could be matched by the resources we need to continue creating incredible, courageous, and open platforms for others.
This is our invitation: to stand with us in recognising the true value of this work – not just in numbers, but in the human stories, the creative sparks, and the cultural bridges it builds.
With support, we can keep doing what we do best: making space for others to shine.
Rebel Black & Warren Mason