Arts policy fails to deliver real support for struggling local artists
28 July 2022
ACT Minister for the Arts Tara Cheyne today released “Canberra: Australia’s Arts Capital – Arts, Culture and Creative Policy 2022-2026”. Shadow Minister for Arts Nicole Lawder welcomed the release of the policy but noted the serious lack of direct funding or support for artists in Canberra.
“Today’s policy release, while good intentioned, is a glossy booklet filled with outdated statistics
and trendy buzzwords.” Nicole Lawder said.
“Similar to last year’s Statement of Ambition for the Arts, the majority of funding and projects announced relate to infrastructure funding. Put simply, infrastructure funding, while badly needed, does not compensate for direct funding of our local artists.
“Allocating funding to the design process of the Canberra Theatre Expansion does not help artists in the ACT today.
“Allocating funding to refurbish the Gorman House Arts Centre does not help artists in the ACT today.
“Allocating funding to workplace health and safety upgrades at the Canberra Theatre does not help artists in the ACT today.
“None of this funding will go to artists in the ACT. It’s simply more infrastructure promises that this Labor-Greens Government has a terrible record of delivering.
“The Canberra Theatre Expansion has been tossed around in the design process by this government for 10 years now.
Last year we saw the contract for the Kingston Arts Precinct sensationally scrapped by the government.
This government has a disastrous record on arts infrastructure and still it’s all they ever promise for the arts industry. Canberra artists deserve better, and they deserve real support now.” Ms Lawder concluded.
