Arts, culture and entertainment on the Central Coast is set to benefit from the Federal Government’s new National Cultural Policy, Revive, with a raft of administrative changes on the way and $286M in dedicated funding – including $5M to upgrade training facilities at NAISDA Dance College’s Kariong campus.
Member for Robertson Gordon Reid said Revive will empower our talented artists and arts organisations to thrive and grow – unlocking new opportunities, reaching new audiences and telling stories in compelling new ways.
“It will bring drive, direction and vision back to the $17B industry – which employs an estimated 400,000 Australians – after a lost decade of federal policy drift and funding neglect,” he said.
Backed by $286M in dedicated funding over four years, Revive’s centrepiece is the establishment of Creative Australia.
This will be the Government’s new principal arts investment and advisory body.
The governing body of Creative Australia will continue to be known as the Australia Council.
Creative Australia will expand on and modernise the Australia Council’s work with funding decisions made on the basis of artistic merit and at arm’s length from Government.
Within Creative Australia four new bodies will be established: a new First Nations-led body which will give First Nations people autonomy over decisions and investments; Music Australia, a dedicated new body to support and invest in the Australian contemporary music industry; Writers Australia, to support writers and illustrators to create new works; and new Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces to ensure creative workers are paid fairly and have safe workplaces free from harassment and discrimination.
Revive is built on five pillars but puts First Nations first – recognising and respecting the crucial place of these stories at the heart of our arts and culture.
Revive also commits the Government to: introduce legislation to protect First Nations knowledge and cultural expressions, including the harm caused by fake art; develop a First Nations creative workforce strategy; fund the establishment of a National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs and an Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Perth; and provide $11M to establish a First Nations Languages Policy Partnership between First Nations representatives and Australian governments.
NAISDA Chairperson Mayrah Sonter said Revive is an important step towards making Australian arts more accessible, valued and equitable for all communities and people.
“We are delighted by the Federal Government’s clear support to strengthen First Nations arts and the direct economic benefit this policy brings to our region through its $5M commitment to support NAISDA’s infrastructure and capacity-building on Darkinjung Land at Kariong,” she said.
“It is a strong acknowledgement that our cultural infrastructure and national arts training institutes like NAISDA are critical in nurturing and empowering our future artists, storytellers and industry.
“First Nations culture and knowledge have been shared through stories, movement and music on Lands across Australia for tens of thousands of years.
“Revive recognises the significant contribution First Nations arts make, not only to our creative and cultural landscape, but to our understanding and celebration of personal and national identity.
“Revive provides an exciting pathway of possibility and change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, artists and all Australians.”
Revive also commits the Government to regulating Australian content on streaming platforms; improving lending rights and incomes for Australian writers; increased funding for regional art; and dozens of other measures.
Terry Collins