Arts industry welcomes Coalition’s cultural blueprint

As Arts Minister Paul Fletcher declares the arts are ‘for all Australians’, industry leaders await the details.

Arts Minister Paul Fletcher. Picture: Christian Gilles

Moves by the Morrison government to direct arts funding to popular cultural events and under-served parts of the nation have been welcomed by leaders of the arts and entertainment industry as a clear statement of ­Coalition ­priorities.

Declaring that the arts were “for all Australians”, Mr Fletcher on Wednesday said large parts of the country including suburban areas and Queensland and WA, were missing out on their share of cultural enjoyment.

He called out a “cosy club” of inner-city arts companies in Sydney and Melbourne that took the larger part of resources, and asked why classical music received a “preponderance” of arts subsidy.

“We are unapologetic about wanting to see arts and entertainment events reach out to the widest possible audiences,” Mr Fletcher said in a speech to the Sydney Institute.

Labor arts spokesman Tony Burke attacked government “hypocrisy” over arts funding, saying the Coalition’s earlier policies had favoured large inner-city ­organisations while depriving small companies and the regions.

Evelyn Richardson, head of Live Performance Australia, philanthropist Neil Balnaves and Australia Council chief executive Adrian Collette were among those who welcomed the discussion of funding priorities.

Ms Richardson said she was encouraged by the commitment to broaden the reach of arts funding, but noted that support for inner-city arts was a strategic investment made across different levels of government.

“These companies employ a lot of people, create a lot of work and are an important part of our cultural tourism assets,” she said.

Mr Balnaves urged the government to take a “macro” view of the arts and entertainment industry, and not pinch from one sector to give to another.

Shelagh Magadza, chief executive of the WA Chamber of Arts and Culture, said she was glad the imbalance in the distribution of federal grants, which disadvantaged WA and Queensland, was being addressed.

Mr Fletcher outlined four priorities of government arts policy: arts for all Australians; contestable and competitive funding; arts and the knowledge economy; and Indigenous arts.

Geoff Jones, head of live entertainment company TEG, said the government was asking “pertinent questions about why certain genres are so often prioritised above others”, as fans of popular touring artists were no less valid than audiences for symphony orchestras. “I was glad to see the minister acknowledge the massive flow-on benefits that arts and entertainment brings to the Australian economy through sectors such as tourism and hospitality,” he said.

The executive director of Belvoir theatre company in inner Sydney, Sue Donnelly, said it was unclear what Mr Fletcher meant by “cosy club”, given funding arrangements for major companies were Howard-era policy.

Mr Collette said the Australia Council was working through a funding framework for major arts companies, as agreed by Mr Fletcher and state arts ministers.