Key Points
A Rebecca White Labor Government will grow our arts and creative sector with sustainable and meaningful support.
We’ll improve things after 10 years of Liberal government have left the arts sector critically underfunded and in a culture of survival which stifles innovation, creativity and growth.
As part of our Plan, Labor will:
- Increase the arts budget to address CPI increases and build capacity
- Increase the number of organisations receiving multi-year funding
- Provide sustainable, ongoing funding for statewide organisations like Theatre North, Terrapin and Tasdance
- Commission a review into what further resources are needed to build capacity in the sector
- Conduct an audit of government-owned space for how they can best support the sector
- Provide more funding for Screen Tasmania and support a post-production facility in Tasmania
- Support festivals with an Events Attraction and Support Fund.
Why we need it
After a decade of Liberal Government, arts funding has not kept pace with CPI or changing employment, superannuation and work health and safety laws. As a result, the sector is now critically underfunded.
“Labor will grow our arts and creative sector with sustainable and meaningful support”
Inadequate multi-year funding opportunities have led to increased inefficiency in the sector, a lack of forward planning and a lack of secure employment for artists and arts workers. The current funding model does not support the key structures necessary for a sustainable arts sector and keeps arts companies in a cycle of reliance on the Government.
As well, underfunded festivals increase competition for arts funding and contribute to under-payment of arts workers.
As a result, the arts sector exists in a culture of survival which stifles innovation, creativity and growth.
The details
Under our Plan for the Arts and Creative Sector, Labor will:
1. Increase the arts budget
A Labor Government will increase the arts budget to an amount that adequately addresses the impact of CPI increases, both historical and future, and the impact of changing employment, superannuation and work health and safety laws which have significantly increased the underlying cost of producing work and running an arts organisation.
We will work to ensure that all worthy arts organisations that meet the funding criteria and contribute significantly to the cultural vibrance of the State and their region can be funded consistently, and to amounts that support their ongoing sustainability.
2. Provide sustainable commitments to major organisations
Labor will provide a sustainable, ongoing support to three major arts organisations, with $500,000 a year for Theatre North, $500,000 a year for Terrapin and $400,000 a year for Tasdance.
3. Provide more long-term, sustainable funding
Labor in Government will commission a review into what additional resources would be needed to facilitate capacity building in the sector, particularly in stabilising the arts organisations that underpin it, and creating a sustainable base that allows arts organisations to leverage their state funding to allow philanthropic, national arts and corporate sponsorship to diversify and grow beyond a reliance on the State Government.
We’ll also conduct an audit of government-owned space to allow the expansion of Tasmanian arts organisation and potential storage support.
Finally, we’ll increase the number of multi-year organisations funding opportunities so the number of multi-year funding opportunities available should be commensurate with the number of organisations who have consistently received and successfully acquitted annual organisations funding, and who can demonstrate ongoing financial sustainability and artistic vitality. This approach will ensure maximum efficiency in both the delivery of funding programs and within the sector itself.
4. Address the underfunding of festivals
A Rebecca White Labor Government will establish a community arts fund with for community theatre organisations with grants of up to $50,000 available.
We’ll also investigate a Multiverse Arts Hub with $100,000 for a feasibility study.
And a Labor Government will invest an additional $19 million over three years in an Events Attraction and Support Fund. This will provide long term certainty for existing events and additional capacity to target off-season events. This funding will help Tasmania secure the future of key events and provide certainty for festivals.