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Changes to Federal Arts Funding a disaster for Schools and Arts Companies

2 July 2015

From South Australia's Patch Theatre 

You may be aware that the 2015/16 Federal budget made a major change to the way that arts funding in Australia will be allocated, putting at risk Patch Theatre’s programs and the future of many other arts organisations and artists nationally. We hope that you will support the campaign that is seeking to have this decision reversed.

 

What is changing?

Until now, all Federal arts funding has been allocated independently by the Australia Council for the Arts. These funds are assessed by arms-length peer-review panels of industry experts and artists, and are allocated on merit without political influence.

 

Under the new proposal, $104m has been transferred from the Australia Council for the Arts to the Federal Ministry for the Arts, apparently to be allocated by the Government without independent assessment under a newly formed ‘National Programme for Excellence in the Arts’ (NPEA).

More information about these changes can be found here .

 

Why is this concerning?

The Government made this decision without any expert or industry consultation. The arms-length grants decision processes of the Australia Council for the Arts are widely regarded as effective, fair and impartial and there are concerns that without such a process, the new NPEA funding will not be impartial or serve the broader interests of Australia’s cultural landscape.

 

Moreover, after an extensive review of operations and community consultation, the Australia Council for the Arts was about to implement new six-year funding arrangements for arts organisations, enabling them to effectively plan into the future and focus on long term sustainability. The reallocation of funds has meant the Australia Council for the Arts has suspended this process.

 

Additionally, Minister Brandis has indicated that Australia’s Major Performing Arts organisations will not receive any cuts in current funding arrangements. After the distribution of quarantined funding (including that for Major Organisations) and the transfer of funds to the new Arts Ministry program, the Australia Council for the Arts now has $23M less to fund small to medium organisations. Combined, these factors put the future of 145 established, renowned and vibrant organisations in jeopardy, including Patch Theatre and eight other South Australian arts organisations.

 

If these changes are implemented, Australia will lose hundreds of arts organisations and thousands of artists and innovative projects from our cultural landscape, and the major companies will lose the benefit of the creativity and innovation that flows to them from the grass roots of artistic practice.

 

What can you do?

Labour, the Greens and the independents have joined to pass a motion for a Senate Inquiry into these changes.  Patch Theatre urges all arts supporters to write to your local members and federal politicians and to make a submission to the Senate Inquiry. Submissions don’t need to be long or complicated – a simple letter that outlines your concerns about the future of the arts in Australia under these changes will make a difference.

 

Patch Theatre is Australia’s flagship theatre company creating new theatre work for 4-8 year old children. The company tours locally, nationally and internationally and performs to more than 60,000 children annually.

 

Patch Theatre, in its 43 year history, has performed to 1.7 million children and their families globally.

 

It is not easy to persuade a government to change its mind, but we must try, and your letter or submission may help Patch Theatre to continue making highly specialised world-class theatre for young children for many years to come.

 

 

 

 

 

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