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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
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