contrapuntal Studio Fundraiser 2025-26
contrapuntal Studio launches Phase II Fundraiser
We’re thrilled to announce our official fundraising campaign via the Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) — a tax deductible giving platform supporting the next chapter our creative vision.
As we transform our Fitzroy warehouse into a cutting-edge music studio, tech lab, wellness destination, art gallery, and cross disciplinary residency space, your donation will help us build a bold, artist-led institution for sound, art, and tech innovation.
This is a grassroots movement — the power of the creative underground has always driven culture forward — fearless, independent, borderless and free.
Please donate now via ACF (tax deductible) → LINK TO CAMPAIGN
TIERS OF SUPPORT
Giving Tiers (Summary)
Our tax‑deductible giving is tiered each level delivering increased impact and benefits.
- Whisper (Up to $500) – Seed the future. Support Melbourne’s newest sonic arts studio.
- Microtone ($500–$1,000) – Amplify local voices. Support artist inclusion.
- Pulse ($1,000–$4,999) – Power the creative engine. Fund equipment + tech prototyping.
- Echo ($5,000–$9,999) – Let your support resonate. Back seasonal programs and artist residencies.
- Resonance ($10,000–$19,999) – Shape immersive rituals and advance health + wellness R&D.
- Overture ($20,000–$49,999) – Co-create a signature Salon series or international project.
- Cadenza ($50,000–$99,999) – Contribute to a residency, artwork, or fund modular infrastructure.
- Symphony ($100,000+) – Be a founding force. Launch Genetic Music, build spatial audio-visual architecture, shape legacies.
ABOUT US
contrapuntal is an artist-led creative studio founded by Benjamin Skepper, fusing music, art, tech and wellness. Now in its 16th year, we are building our permanent home in Fitzroy, Melbourne.
RETHINKING THE CULTURAL FRAMEWORK
We are establishing our permanent home in Fitzroy — transforming an industrial print making factory into a purpose-built music studio + tech development lab, art gallery and artist residency space for cultural production. This independent, interdisciplinary site will be a platform for sound innovation, collaborative creation, and art that responds to our cultural moment. It will support emerging and established voices alike, across disciplines and borders.
Stage I activated on Saturday 12 July 2025 through our Tokyo-born “A Taste of the Senses III” series — a sold out one-night immersive dinner and performance art rave that inaugurated the site in its new Melbourne space. This marked the beginning of our public fundraising campaign, which will roll out in 3 phases over the next 3 years.
Stage II focuses on activating the site and anchoring our public programs. Beyond, we are developing a bold pipeline of work across music, film, immersive installation, and wellness technologies, building toward a model of long-term sustainability and artistic excellence.
We are raising funds to initiate this vision — to bring to life a working cultural institution with local roots and global reach.
STUDIO VISION: 2025–2027 CREATIVE PIPELINE
Your support will directly fund the development of core studio projects and infrastructure including:
- TOURING: ECHOES – live AV performance project ready for international touring
- R&D: LUMINESCENCE – a cutting edge AV performance work, new album in R&D with Yamaha Music
- ARTS + SCIENCES: WAVES – an immersive soundscape installation and live performance based on nobel prize awarded gravitational wave theory and data
- FILM: WITH LOVE, FROM HIROSHIMA – a feature film and multimedia operatic score honouring personal ancestral memory, resilience and the Japanese diaspora
- WELLNESS: GENETIC MUSIC – a wellness-focused R&D stream exploring the therapeutic potential of sound through patented tuning systems
These foundational works will be realised at this new Fitzroy base, which will house a spatial sound system (Victorian first), modular AV infrastructure, artist workspaces, and technical facilities for public and private research, presentation and branded collaborations.
YOUR SUPPORT
Stage II of our capital raise aims to secure $150,000, which will be used to:
- Install high-fidelity sound equipment and build out lighting and AV capacity
- Equip the space for modular performance, exhibitions and immersive rituals
- Support the first wave of new creative development and public programming on major projects and for our September Spring Launch and Public Programming initiative
This is an indication of how your contribution will support a turnkey foundation for creative excellence, rigorous research and experimentation, cultural production, and community led participation.
TIERS OF SUPPORT – FULL DESCRIPTION
1. Whisper (Up to $500)
The seed of resonance. Every whisper sets the future in motion.
Impact Examples:
- Support the growth of Melbourne’s latest cutting-edge sonic arts studio.
Benefits:
- Acknowledgment in our digital annual donor roll
- Access to one public Art Salon event
- Quarterly newsletter + early program notice
Primary Division Focus:
- Art Salon — public engagement
- General support for growth and outreach
2. Microtone ($500 – $1,000)
Quiet support. Every note is amplified.
Impact Examples:
- Enable one local artist’s inclusion in a Salon exhibition or performance
- Fund design and print for a public program zine or poster series
Benefits:
- Acknowledgment in digital annual donor roll
- Access to one public Art Salon event
- Quarterly newsletter with program updates and insights
Primary Division Focus:
- Art Salon — support for exhibitions, local artist access
- Publishing — help publish and share new ideas and media assets
3. Pulse ($1,000 – $4,999)
A rhythmic heartbeat. Building Momentum.
Impact Examples:
- Provide audio/visual equipment and technical materials for a major pipeline project (e.g. LUMINESCENCE, WAVES)
- Contribute to acoustic treatment or L‑Acoustics system staging
- Support development of our Genetic Music App
Benefits:
- Priority Access to exclusive Art Salon dinner invitation (you + guest)
- Behind-the-scenes studio preview or rehearsal invitation
- Name recognition in select print and digital platforms
Primary Division Focus:
- Music Studio — technical access, small project production support
- Tech Development Lab — early-stage tools and custom gear
- Publishing — small-run outputs
4. Echo ($5,000 – $9,999)
Your gift echoes across time, supporting programs and people.
Impact Examples:
- Fund artist travel and fees for a Salon series or creative residency
- Support the delivery of a Wellness Ritual or sound healing session
- Enable a pop-up performance during a public event
- Support a full seasonal residency or cross-disciplinary program
Benefits:
- 1 immersive Salon Dinner (you + guest)
- Invitation to annual donor recognition evening
- Program credit under “Echo Patrons”
Primary Division Focus:
- Art Salon — seasonal program support
- Residency Program — hosting local, interstate and international creators
- Wellness Studio — sound workshops, sonic rituals
5. Resonance ($10,000 – $19,999)
Creating lasting resonance through spatial sound and wellness R&D.
Impact Examples:
- Underwrite a co-commission or new AV performance (e.g. SYNSONICA)
- Advance spatial sound system rollout (L‑ISA by L‑Acoustics)
- Support interdisciplinary research and publication across art, medicine, science
- Fund R&D for sonic wellness and immersive AV rituals
Benefits:
- 2 immersive Salon dinners (you + guest)
- Priority RSVP access to all public programs and previews
- Behind-the-scenes invitations
- Donor welcome gift (a limited-edition art object)
- Priority seating + invitations to rehearsals and tours
Primary Division Focus:
- Tech Lab — R&D for immersive systems
- Commissions & Co-Creations — collaborative creation with institutions and brands
- Publishing — cross-disciplinary outputs
6. Overture ($20,000 – $49,999)
Shape a new sonic movement. Power the creative engine.
Impact Examples:
- Fund a full co-creation process: sound, scent, AV ritual (contrapuntal Wellness experience)
- Commission an interdisciplinary art-science residency
- Contribute to final build phase of studio or digital platforms
Benefits:
- All Resonance perks
- 4 exclusive Art Salon dinner invitations (you + guest)
- Creative + Programming input opportunity or ideation session
- Named “Overture Patron” credit in print, site, and signage
Primary Division Focus:
- Wellness Studio — Genetic Music + Wellness Offerings
- Residency — international programs and development
- Advisory — development of strategic IP-led platforms
7. Cadenza ($50,000 – $99,999)
Claim your solo. Fund creative production, infrastructure and residencies.
Impact Examples:
- Name a featured residency, work, or AV experience
- Fund publication of a book, musical album, digital work or scientific paper
- Build modular gear for live AV wellness research and tech development
Benefits:
- All Overture perks
- 6 exclusive Art Salon dinner invitation (you + guest)
- Project/residency/publication naming rights
- Private studio tour with artist/tech collaborator
- Recognition in major donor roll & physical salon signage
Primary Division Focus:
- Public Art Fund — long-term equity and sustainable frameworks for artists
- Media + Publishing — new music, artist books, multimedia and art objects
- Tech Lab — custom-built modular hardware/software builds for multi-purpose outputs
8. Symphony ($100,000+)
A masterpiece in collaboration. The full orchestration. Become a founding force in the future of art and sound.
Impact Examples:
- Co-lead the Genetic Music launch and monetisation pathway
- Underwrite spatial sound studio architecture and future-proof systems
- Fund long-term R&D across neuroscience, sound therapy, and immersive media
- Establish named endowment, fund, or studio co-curation stream
Benefits:
- All Cadenza perks
- Curatorial role for major season or program initiative
- Exclusive access to all Art Salon and Studio events (you + guest)
- Invitation to salon retreat or concert tour (you + guest)
- Recognition across all communications
- Annual private dinner with Artistic Director and studio collaborators
Primary Division Focus:
- Genetic Music (Wellness Studio) — flagship app and R&D for custom assets
- Tech Development Lab — biometric systems, spatial architecture
- Art Salon — permanent infrastructure and international outreach
- Public Art Fund — developing long-term growth and administrative support
JOIN US
Together, we’re laying the foundation for a creative institution that’s experimental, inclusive, and future-facing.
To learn more or become a deeper partner in this ground-breaking work, please reach out directly:
