LIVE: Arts Sector To Receive $235M In National Cultural Policy
Simon Crean made the announcement in Canberra
Federal Arts Minister Simon Crean has today announced the National Cultural Policy – Creative Australia.
In a press conference at the Canberra Press Club, Crean has announced that the arts sector will receive $235 million in funding as part of the policy, which is a ten-year-vision.
$195 million of that figure is 'new money' for arts. The other $40 million comes from existing funding.
“It's a policy that sees the artist at the centre of creativity. A policy that sees creativity as crucial to the nation's future,” he said.
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He said that the Australia Council will have, “A new focus of independent, peer-reviewed grants.”
Crean will introduce legislation to parliament to restructure the Australia Council next week. The council will recieve an extra $75.3million over four years.
According to the Australia Council, “A skills-based board will replace the Australia Council's existing governing board. The board will include artists and also members who have experience in areas such as finance, audit, risk management, strategy and planning.”
The Government will look to develop a crowd funding initiative, which will see the Government match funds raised through peer-funding projects. $500,000 a year will be provided for that.
Crean said that he has faith in the members of parliament to act appropriately with the $23,500 that will be handed out to them for arts funding. Given they're already fulfilling a similar role with sports programs, Crean said, the funding was evening the funding for the two sectors.
“We're doing the same thing for the local arts champions as sports [champions],” he said. “I love the sports, but I see so many similarities between the sports and the arts.”
The NCP will see the launch of 'ArtsReady', a program similar to the existing SportsReady. “We know young people's passion is either sport of the arts,” Crean said.
The policy outlines that ArtsReady aims, “To support job seekers, school leavers and at-risk students to find arts careers through on-the-job training. This initiative will focus on building partnerships with employers to provide real and relevant training and be managed through the Australian Football League SportsReady program which is engaging students through sport.”
The policy said the Federal Government will, “Transfer $39 million to the Australia Council for Playing Australia, Visions of Australia, Festivals Australia, Contemporary Music Touring Program, Contemporary Touring Initiative, and $22.8 million for the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy.”
It reads, “An increased focus on arts and culture in education and training is resulting in a new generation of artists and creators able to develop networks of supporters who help develop their work. This is a growing trend in contemporary music, film, games and other areas of creative endeavour. It provides a whole new source of private sector support which needs to be encouraged and nurtured.”
It has been 18 years since Australia last national cultural police, Paul Keating's Creative Australia policy.
More news as it comes…
He says "Crean sector" instead of screen sector. The crowd goes wild.
— theMusic.com.au (@TheMusicComAu) March 13, 2013
531,000 people work in Creative Industries – employment in CI growing faster than rest of economy #NCPAus
— theMusic.com.au (@TheMusicComAu) March 13, 2013
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