What are the hot topics in your corner of the arts sector in Victoria?
“Well-known Australian jazz musicians have launched an attack on Arts Victoria after it cut funding for an organisation that supports emerging and established artists…”
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DELAYS in approvals for 2012 Arts Victoria funding are setting alarm bells ringing in the arts sector.
“We are very concerned at the delays to date and trust future government processes will be executed in a more timely manner,‘’ Arts Industry Council (Victoria) executive director Jacqueline Grenfell said.
The AIC is especially concerned that no announcement has been made about applications for Arts Development funding, which had to be lodged by August 1 last year.
“This is a competitive category mainly supporting the small-to-medium sector which produces a lot of the cutting-edge work Melbourne is known for. Some of those companies operate on a shoestring budget as it is,‘’ Grenfell said.
The AIC has written to Premier Ted Baillieu, urging “an immediate resolution of this issue'‘.
Yesterday a government spokesman said successful recipients would be notified shortly.
First it was ANAM, then the VCA. Most recently Monash University has signaled that its Glass Studio will close. Is the way tertiary arts education in Australia funded adequate?
In May 2009, the Commonwealth released its “Transforming Australia’s Higher Education System” package of policy announcements in response to the Bradley Review of Higher Education which proposed a 10% increase in base funding levels – a final report is due from the Federal government October this year. While the arts have won a hard fought place in the National Curriculum, how is tertiary education placed to ensure quality graduates? With the government looking to the arts to provide input into the Creative Industries, and with much of the required research and development being undertaken at a postgraduate level, how will our new economy fare without adequately trained University graduates?
On August 11, the Federal government released a new Discussion Paper on the development of a National Cultural Policy. The Discussion Paper outlines four primary Goals, associated strategies and key performance indicators proposed under a ten year plan. Of note, the Discussion Paper references a Creative Industries model and the development of an associated Creative Industries Strategy. To read more, please click here.
The Melbourne based Art Nation, hosted by Fenella Kernebone, is to be discontinued after this current season. According to Friends of the ABC, the ABC’s only dedicated local arts program will be dropped as the ABC cuts its in-house production in favour of more out-sourcing.
Friends of the ABC’s Glenys Stradijot said, “The ABC was envisaged as a producer of programs of cultural value and intellectual integrity. Instead it is being transformed into a platform for carrying commercial content. This is privatisation by stealth.” The Friends are supporting a call for a public enquiry into the ABC’s outsourcing.
The Arts Industry Council’s recent conference became the centre of a mini storm, when Coalition Leader Ted Baillieu announced a key element to his party’s arts platform, an all-night arts festival based on the “Nuit Blanche” festival in Paris. The announcement has been met with some controversy, with sections of the arts community questioning the value of adding yet another festival, while Labor has claimed that the government was already investigating the idea. What are your thoughts? Would you support a Nuit Blanche festival in Melbourne?
New VCA Director Su Baker has invited input into a renewed VCA curriculum, flagging the return of Music Theatre and a non-Melbourne Model contemporary music course including the improvisation stream….
The Save Super Art campaign has reported that Australia’s three major political parties have reached a consensus position to rule out the Cooper Report proposals to ban artworks from Self Managed Superannuation Funds. The Cooper Review also wanted SMSFs to divest all art investments within 10 years. A planned Public Rally challenging aspects of the Cooper Review has been cancelled.
The Save the VCA Campaign can claim some major accomplishments, reporting recently that the State and Federal Labor Governments appear to be on the verge of a funding announcement for the College.
With news that the Dean of VCAM Sharman Pretty has resigned, and that The University of Melbourne has now responded to its VCAM Review, there are clear indicators that changes are underway. However, Save the VCA are warning of complacency…
The Start to a Win: What happened and What We Need to Do Now
Does Australia need a new national cultural agency? Is the Australia Council limited in its role? Does the Australia Council effectively support your sector? What mechanisms would?
Ben Eltham and Marcus Westbury have launched a campaign investigating whether the Australia Council has had its day….