By Tyler Wright
The country’s arts, entertainment and cultural sector has been given a new National Cultural Policy for the first time in 10 years.
Revive, announced on Monday 30 January by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Arts Minister Tony Burke, is a five year plan implemented in an attempt to boost arts organisations and talented artists with a backing of $286 million in funding over four years.
Under the plan, Creative Australia will be the government’s new principal arts investment and advisory body, with the governing body still known as the Australia Council for the Arts.
Four new bodies will be established within Creative Australia, including a new First Nations-led body, Music Australia, Writers Australia and a new Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces which is expected to ensure creative workers are paid fairly and have safe workplaces free from harassment and discrimination.
The policy is built on five pillars; First Nations First, A Place for Every Story Centrality of the Artist Strong Cultural Infrastructure and Engaging the Audience.
The framework will commit the government to introducing legislation to protect First Nations knowledge and cultural expressions, including the harm caused by fake art and develop a First Nations creative workforce strategy.
CEO and Creative Director at Burrinja Cultural Centre in Upwey, Gareth Hart said the Revive policy is a “really momentous” occasion for the arts across the nation.
“It sets forward an agenda at a policy level, but also hopefully filtering down to effect some real change at regional and very local levels,” Hart said.
“Hopefully it’s integrated across all levels of where culture is found.”
Burrinja Cultural Centre provided a submission in the National Cultural Policy consultation process, including a call for greater funding for arts organisations, particularly those in the outer metropolitan fringe of Melbourne and regional communities.
“We’re really glad to see a number of those things have landed in the plan, particularly a very, very heavy focus, rightfully so, around First Nations practise and supporting our Indigenous Australians with some significant gestures or commitment to support, also some very clear focus on youth practise and community arts,” Hart said.
“We talked a lot about having the artist as central to any cultural policy and particularly recognising the value that artists play in bringing meaningful connection at a community level and bringing about social change…
“We spoke about how artists can play a role in supporting that or facilitating that which artists in this region really do, particularly on the back of really intense events like the storm events or Covid lockdowns.”
Through Revive, Burrinja may be able to act as a conduit between the local community and federal initiatives.
“If the community have ideas or they’ve got major projects and they would like to talk about those and think about partnerships with Burrinja or how Burrinja might support them to access funding that’s coming out of Revive and the new initiative federally, then we’re very happy… to connect with locals and creatives,” Hart said.
“Hopefully there’s more opportunities for us to partner with the community on really special projects.”
The policy will fund the establishment of a National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs and an Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Perth and provide $11 million to establish a First Nations Languages Policy Partnership between First Nations representatives and Australian governments.
Australian content on streaming platforms will also need to be regulated under Revive, improving lending rights and incomes for Australian writers and increased funding for regional art.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Revive will “provide the support Australian artists need to thrive and grow”.
“I am excited by the potential it will unleash, and to see our extraordinary and diverse Australian stories continue to be told with originality, wit, creativity and flair,” Mr Albanese said.
“It builds on the proud legacies of earlier Labor governments that recognised the importance of art and culture to Australia’s identity, social unity and economic prosperity.”
Arts Minister Tony Burke said the policy is a “comprehensive roadmap” for the country’s arts and culture which touches all areas of government, “from cultural diplomacy in foreign affairs to health and education”.
“Our artists are creators and workers. This sector is essential for our culture and for our economy. As the sector recovers from years of neglect followed by the tough pandemic period, Revive will set the arts sector on a new trajectory with fresh momentum,” Mr Burke said.
Hart said Burrinja Cultural Centre has advocated for an arts policy to be legislated at a Federal level.
“At the state level at the moment, it is legislated that every government, no matter who’s in power, must have an art policy,” they said.
“We advocated that that should be adopted at a federal level so that we don’t have another 10 years without a policy.”
Funding decisions will be made on the basis of artistic merit and at arm’s length from government.
