Birdgirl is Walking 3,125km Across Australia for Grow The Music

Melbourne-based musician Birdgirl is walking, on foot, solo, camping the whole way, from Perth to Melbourne. That's 3,125 kilometres across this beautiful country, and she's doing it to raise funds for Grow the Music and to champion something we believe in deeply: that access to the arts should be a right, not a privilege.

We honestly couldn't be more grateful.

The Walk

Kicking off in May 2026, Birdgirl will set out from Perth and make her way across Australia entirely under her own steam. No support vehicle, no shortcuts just her, the open road, and a swag. 3,125 kilometres all the way to Melbourne.

It's an extraordinary thing to take on, and the fact that she's doing it for communities and people who have long been left behind when it comes to arts funding makes it all the more meaningful to us.

Why She's Doing It

Arts funding in this country has been cut back for years. Arts education is increasingly out of reach for so many Australians. And for people from Indigenous communities, culturally diverse backgrounds, or anyone without privilege behind them, the message has too often been that their story doesn't deserve to be heard.

In her words:

"The arts have not been prioritised as a necessity to the majority of Australians. For too long, the arts have been defunded, education relating to the arts has been made increasingly inaccessible and our governments have proven that unless you come from a place of privilege — your story doesn't deserve to be heard. I want to help combat this, and help increase opportunities for people across this beautiful country."

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Who She's Raising For

Birdgirl is raising $10,000 for Grow the Music and $10,000 for Slamtidote Inc.

For us at GTM, that support goes straight back into what we do every day getting instruments, education and mentorship to Indigenous communities and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds across Australia. We've been at it since 2012 and every dollar helps us reach further.

Slamtidote Inc is a not-for-profit based in Naarm (Melbourne) that brings poetry and music to ethnic, femme and queer communities through grassroots events, creative workshops and self-published zines. They run everything on a pay-what-you-can basis and even donate to charity every month. Funds raised for Slamtidote will go directly toward venue hire and printing costs, keeping their events and publications accessible to the people who need them most.

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You don't need to walk 3,125 kilometres to make a difference but knowing someone is doing exactly that is pretty inspiring, right?

Follow Birdgirl's journey, share her story, and if you can chuck something in the fundraiser. Every dollar goes directly toward real impact for communities across this country.

Donate here: gofundme.com/f/birdgirls-walk-across-australia-for-access-to-the-arts

Let's make sure Birdgirl knows Australia is behind her every step of the way. 🙌

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