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The arts sector is not alone in being overlooked by the incoming federal government: they’re not greeting any of the critical industries with a responsible approach to policy. Yet the impact on artistic practice of such neglect is significant. And that’s not just the impact of not having a cultural policy. It’s the impact of not
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How do the major political parties understand Australia’s culture and what vision do they offer for our future asks Esther Anatolitis, the executive director of the National Association for the Visual Arts. We’ve got Labor who’ve launched a comprehensive policy after extensive consultation; the Greens, who’ve released a considered policy without a launch nor consultation;
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Last night’s federal budget documents offered stark insights into our nation’s culture by setting out Australia’s political priorities in financial terms. In the absence of a written policy, how do these political decisions reveal the unwritten values that frame our cultural life? asks arts industry advocate Esther Anatolitis. Surprisingly, identifying those values is much easier than
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What are the most pressing issues facing the cultural sector in Victoria today – and as the state heads towards election day on 24 November? It’s a timely question as the state’s three major parties gather at the National Gallery of Victoria this afternoon for a forum where they’ll be challenged by industry leaders to
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As we begin to reflect on the discussions that Future/Forward has opened up about a contemporary arts sector that’s ambitious and fair, across Australia unprecedented billions of dollars are being committed to the contemporary arts – to bricks and mortar, that is, and not to artists themselves. $244 million from the NSW Government towards a
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At yesterday’s Budget Night fundraiser in Canberra, Coalition ministers took it in turns to take to the mic and offer their quips and insights on the state of the nation from their point of view. It’s a great way for industry leaders from across our key sectors to get to know who’s who – and
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Local government elections aren’t normally of national significance. When it’s a capital city mayoral election, however, all of Australia takes notice. Lord Mayors lead programs, budgets and square kilometres that encompass their state’s major public spaces, galleries, museums, festivals and performing arts centres, as well as the sites of their major events. Artists of national
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Last July, non-profit environmental organisations received a letter from the Australian Government which The Guardian’s Lenore Taylor characterised as having “ominous implications”. It asked them, for the first time, to curtail their commitment to promoting the public good by rethinking the time and resources they devote to public advocacy. A few days later, Peter Dutton was
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The arts and the political world exist largely in isolation from one another in Australia. Artists and politicians don’t tend to meet regularly, or respond to one another’s work, or rely on each other’s perspective, or call on one another’s advice. Why is that? Yes, both are incredibly busy and incredibly determined. Both can get
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“It’s as bad as Jeff Kennett,” a property developer tells me. “No – actually, it’s worse.” On the eve of the Christmas break, the Victorian Government announced that Apple would be opening a shop in Federation Square – not as another tenant, but by demolishing an existing multi-tenanted building, and replacing it with a bespoke
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