Live Performance Australia, the peak body for Australia’s live arts and entertainment industry, is calling on the federal government to introduce a Live Performance Production Inventive.
Arguing that arts and culture are “core” to Australian identity, as well as economic prosperity and social wellbeing, Live Performance Australia has issued a submission for new policy action that “supports artistic and cultural production and participation.”
The organisation has also claimed that the initiative has “transformational potential”. It should act as the centrepiece of the federal government’s next cultural tax initiatives and be prioritised in the next cultural policy.
Additionally, Live Performance Australia says the incentive would apply to the production expenses of live performances – for both commercial and not-for-profit organisations. It argues that the move would help attract private investment and boost financial sustainability for live music producers.
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Live Performance Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Eric Lassen, explained the company’s goals, “The production incentive is a proven model to drive investment and creative ambition. It is activity-driven, and modelling shows a 40 per cent offset or rebate on production costs would be revenue-positive for government.”
Lassen added, “Live theatre generates over $4 billion turnover across the economy, over $2 billion in Gross Value Added and supports over 30,000 jobs. Every dollar spent by a theatre organisation has an economy-wide spillover effect of more than $4.”
In its submission, Live Performance Australia has also proposed a National Arts Education Strategy to be incorporated into the national education curriculum, starting in early childhood and continuing into a child’s later years at school.
The organisation says the strategy should be tailor-made to encourage young people to engage with the arts. Not only that, but also developing critical thinking and creative skills, addressing declining enrolments in the arts, and showcasing arts careers as viable pathways.
Lastly, Live Performance Australia calls on Creative Australia to implement a “strategic uplift” and extend the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework, increase investment in small and medium organisations, continue its investment in contemporary music, and prioritise young audiences and music festivals.
Discussing the importance of keeping children and young people engaged with the arts, Lassen continued, “As the name implied, Revive played a crucial role in helping to rebuild from the impact of the COVID pandemic and putting in place some of the foundational supports for the future.
“The next cultural policy needs to build on those foundations with some bigger and bolder ideas that tackle the systemic challenges and take up the opportunity to more fully realise Australia’s cultural and creative potential.”
You can read Live Performance Australia’s full submission for this year’s National Cultural Policy here.
