Arts
John Gardiner-Garden
In the area of arts policy, the 2009–10 Budget offered few
surprises.[1]
Commitments to collecting institutions such as the National
Library, National Film and Sound Archive, National Archives and
National Museum of Australia were unexceptional and despite some
discussion over the last year, these agencies remain subject to the
1.25 per cent efficiency dividend. The National Museum was given
the go-ahead to explore ways to increase exhibition and storage
space but no additional funding was committed. The National Library
was granted $805 000 for 2009–2010 to lead a project to
find ways to digitise some of the National Library, National Film
and Sound Archive and National Archive collections and collect
digital material such as web-pages. Screen Australia had its 2009
Budget allocation reduced in the anticipation that the producer tax
offset will increase other sources of revenue to the industry.
In two specific areas the Budget delivered on Labor Party
commitments made prior to the 2007 election:
- in the area of Indigenous art, the Budget committed $9.3
million through the National Arts and Craft Industry Support
Program to expand support for the operations of art centres,
ensuring appropriate staffing, training and salaries for art
centres’ employees, and addressing poor recruitment and
retention rates in art centres in remote areas. $600 000 was
committed towards funding the implementation of a long discussed
Indigenous art industry code of conduct[2]
- in the area of supporting young and emerging artists, the
Budget committed $9.6 million over four years to an Artstart
program offering graduate artists in any discipline the opportunity
to apply for one-off grants to assist them in starting their
business as professional artists. The Budget also committed new
money for bodies which are used as stepping-stones for young
artists: $5.4 million over four years to the National Institute of
Dramatic Art (NIDA), Australian Ballet School, and Australian Youth
Orchestra; $100 000 to each of the Canberra and Darwin
Symphony Orchestras; and $1 million for the Australia Council to
assist small to medium arts organisations.
The Budget also committed $4 million over four years to support
the touring of cultural collections across Australia and overseas
and the bringing of international exhibitions to Australia. A new
Australian Government International Exhibitions Insurance Program
to replace the Art Indemnity Australia program (at a saving of
$15.8 million) was also announced.
The Budget offered continued support to the Books Alive
promotion of reading and Australian authors ($8 million over four
years) and to the Melba Foundation’s program of recordings of
Australia’s finest classical musicians ($2.3 million over
three years).
[1].
See P Garrett (Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts)
and J Macklin (Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs), Strengthening Australia's Indigenous
visual arts sector, media release, Canberra, 12 May 2009,
viewed 16 May 2009,
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2009/budmr20090512j.html
[2].
P Garrett (Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts),
$62.3 million for arts and culture, media release,
Canberra, 12 May 2009, viewed 16 May 2009,
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2009/budmr20090512d.html