MIDNIGHT is the deadline for submissions to the Senate Inquiry investigating the impact of the 2014 and 2015 Commonwealth Budget decisions on the Arts. Here's my submission. Sorry if it's a little serious, but this is a matter that I feel pretty serious about! Submissions can be emailed to legcon.sen@aph.gov.au, and you can always use the handy Slack Arse Submission Generator, although I have to say writing my own one felt pretty damn good.
I am writing as an arts worker and professional artist early in her career. I am extremely concerned about the changes put forward by Minister for the Arts George Brandis in the 2015 Budget, and by the fact that the Australia Council for the Arts, artists and arts organisations were not consulted about these changes before they were announced. As someone who has worked in the Australian Public Service, I know this to be a gross misstep in the political and bureaucratic process, which is accountable to the Australian people to incorporate rigorous consultation, evidence-based policy, and best practice. It is also of immense concern that funding would be administered through the Ministry for the Arts for the National Programme for Excellence in the Arts. This has the potential to politicise and censor arts activity in Australia. It is highly questionable that the Ministry can do a better job at gathering peer assessors and funding genuine excellence than the Australia Council for the Arts already does in a politically independent and art-form specific way. This new funding model also presents a duplication of streams for Commonwealth funding, which is a waste of resources and administration, and is likely to create extra work for time-poor artists and arts organisations as well.
The impact of these decisions hits right at the knees of the arts in Australia, at the level of individual arts practitioners (including young and emerging artists) and small to medium arts organisations. The Australia Council for the Arts is highly respected within the arts in Australia, and its reach should not be underestimated. Emerging artists and established artists alike rely on opportunities presented by small to medium arts organisations funded by the Australia Council, and many also benefit directly from Australia Council grants and residencies which help them to build and broaden the scope of their careers. Without these valuable smaller players, the opportunities for large collecting and exhibiting institutions to collect and exhibit work by Australian artists are likely to also be affected.
Small to medium arts organisations also employ many artists and arts workers, including myself. I was lucky to be able to establish my career in the arts at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, which is funded by the Australia Council as well as the ACT Government. During my time there and in my current role I have also worked with countless artists who have developed high quality exhibitions and professional artistic practices with assistance from the Australia Council, including ArtStart grants for emerging artists and Australia Council residencies and other grants. According to the recently launched and well received 2015 ACT Arts Policy put forward by the ACT Government, six thousand people are employed in the arts in the ACT alone. Australia Council funding has played a vital part in the ecology and the excellence of the arts activity that supports this sizable and economically significant sector, both in the ACT and nationally.
The recent changes to Australia Council funding and Commonwealth funding of the arts in general do not reflect the cultural and economic significance of employment, small businesses and activity in the arts in Australia. This means that the arts are not being supported adequately by the Australian Government to meet their massive potential. For the sector and the individuals within it, this is a shame for two reasons: all of us work tirelessly and passionately to create and support great art and engage with a diverse audience, and we know there is much more that could be done with greater resources; and the poor state of funding means that artists and arts workers are still (despite excellent efforts by NAVA and the Australia Council to encourage artist fees and appropriate salaries for arts workers) chronically underpaid if paid at all. I believe that this is exploitative considering the real cultural and economic value created by artists and arts workers in their contributions to the arts on a national and sometimes international scale.
For audiences, the decisions handed down in the budget also have the potential to reduce the diversity and amount of quality art that is accessible to them. Minister Brandis’ concern with ‘what audiences want’ is one best left to the organisations that are accountable to their audiences and to their funding bodies to whom they report on audience numbers and engagement. It is also important to consider that popularity and excellence do not always or initially align. Cutting-edge arts activity can be challenging, and can appeal to niche audiences and industry peers more than a general audience, however this vital work cements Australia’s international reputation as a driver of excellence in the arts and influences the future direction of arts activities more broadly.
As a taxpayer, arts worker and artist, I implore the Senate and the Minister for the Arts to reconsider the current approach to federal arts funding and policy. Consultation and research into best practice for arts policy within Australia and internationally should form the basis for decisions regarding arts funding and policy. In addition to this, I would like to see the Government and Opposition work together to develop a long-term arts policy and ensure independent arts funding (preferably through the Australia Council). This would help the arts in Australia to capitalise on its potential, as well as avoiding wasteful changes based on ideological and short-term concerns.
Annika Harding, July 2015