Revive: A quick outline of the Federal Government's new cultural policy
The launch of the Federal Government's new cultural policy, ‘Revive', outlines a new era for Australia's arts and cultural sector. Revive is the name of the new five year policy, with a tagline that reads, A place for every story, a story for everyplace.
The cultural policy is built around five key pillars:
Pillar 1: First Nations First
Recognising and respecting the crucial place of First Nations stories at the centre of Australia’s arts and culture.
Pillar 2: A Place for Every Story
Reflecting the breadth of our stories and the contribution of all Australians as the creators of culture.
Pillar 3: Centrality of the Artist
Supporting the artist as workers and celebrating artists as creators.
Pillar 4: Strong Cultural Infrastructure
Providing support across the spectrum of institutions which sustain our arts, culture and heritage.
Pillar 5: Engaging the Audience
Making sure our stories connect with people at home and abroad.
Rebuilding the cultural sector
The policy aims to rebuild and reinvest in the cultural sector. It is clear from the policy document that the Federal Government aims to place arts at the centre of Australian identity and culture:
“Whether it’s our stories being told, our music being played, or our world being interpreted through paint, dance, textile, stone or clay, the arts are central to our being.” The Hon Anthony Albanese MP
Notably, the policy highlights the need to ensure people working in the arts have the same workplace rights as other industries. For too long, arts workers have been valued in a different light than other trades and professions.
Too often, artists have not been considered real workers, arts businesses have not been considered real businesses, and arts training courses have not been considered as training for real jobs. (P52)
The new policy is also firmly committed to developing First Nations cultural practice, particularly mechanisms for self-determination and First Nations-led arts organisations.
“Revive supports the self-determination of First Nations peoples to make the decisions that impact them, including funding decisions by the First Nations governance body of the newly established Creative Australia.” The Hon Linda Burney MP
The policy also outlines its intention to restructure government arts funding and administration bodies, primarily through the creation of Creative Australia. It will be the Government’s principal arts investment and advisory body (p68). In its restructuring, the policy states that it will restore funding cuts ($44.0 million) to the Australia Council to address underfunded areas like youth arts and expand its functions to establish Creative Australia, totalling $199.0 million. (p103)
Creative Australia will establish four new dedicated bodies, a First Nations-led Board, Music Australia, Writers Australia and the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces. The development of Music Australia and Writers Australia is aimed at addressing imbalances that have developed through new disruptive technologies and an acknowledgement that existing cultural infrastructure needs to be better suited to contemporary musicians and writers.
New technology is disrupting the landscape for musicians and writers and there is a need for government policy to be modernised for these artists. Music Australia and Writers Australia are deliberately designed to reach into the commercial sectors where traditional grants funding models have had limited success. These bodies will become policy engines for these sectors, building partnerships and expertise that will both support artists directly and benefit Australian audiences. (P68)
Music Australia
The policy highlights that the current cultural infrastructure has not suited contemporary musicians and writers well. With the development of Music Australia, the Government aims to:
- Grow the market for contemporary Australian music
- Increase development of original music through investment in artistic creation
- Deliver song writing and recording initiatives in schools
- Develop new strategic partnerships within and beyond the music sector, including to undertake research and data collection around key issues, including festivals and venues
- Provide ongoing support for Sounds Australia – Australia’s export music market development initiative
- Support industry professionals to learn business and management skills
- Provide central coordination around access to live music venues for bands and solo artists
- Develop new co-investment agreements with states, territories and industry to deliver national sector-wide priorities, and
- Create Community Music Hubs in high density living areas.
With hope, through this new cultural policy, the development of new bodies such as Music Australia, the value gap felt throughout the creative industries, and in particular, in the music industry, will be reduced, and the liveability of artists will increase.
Key points relevant to lutruwita/Tasmania and the music industry
- Develop a First Nations Creative Workforce Development Strategy
- Increase support for regional arts and culture through an increase to the Regional Arts Fund, and continuation of the Festivals Australia program
- Mandate minimum remuneration for professional musicians and performers contracted by government entities to perform at Australian Government events and functions
- Provide funding for Support Act through the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces to provide mental health support to the music sector
- Fully implement all fifty-five recommendations of the Respect@Work Report to better prevent and address workplace sexual harassment
- Work with the arts and culture sector to undertake a scoping study to understand current and emerging workforce challenges and skills needs across the cultural and creative sector, and inform the development of industry-driven solutions by the Arts, Personal Services, Retail, Tourism and Hospitality Jobs and Skills Council, to address identified issues
- Provide $5.0 million for an Arts and Disability Associated Plan, under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–31, to enable people with disability to access and participate fully in the cultural and creative life of Australia
- Provide pilot funding of $4.2 million to support access to art and music therapy programs, and generate valuable data on the broader community impacts of, and demand for, these services
- The establishment of Music Australia ($69.4 million), to support the Australian music industry to grow, including through strategic initiatives and industry partnerships, research, skills development and export promotion
- Increase funding to the newly established Creative Australia to support more small and medium arts organisations and drive the development of new artistic works of scale
- Increase support for community broadcasting to deliver local news, tell local stories, and provide a platform for diverse voices and Australian music
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