Perth Voice Interactive

ARTAGEDDON is officially over.

The Albanese Labor government this week announced the first Perth recipients of funding aimed at shoring up small-to-medium arts organisations which were hammered under the former Abbott government.

Back in 2015 former arts minister George Brandis blindsided arts organisations when he stripped $105 million from the Australia Council to set up his own “excellence” fund; many had spent months preparing funding applications which suddenly had to be scrapped (“Artageddon,” Voice, June 19, 2015).

Part of the Brandis overhaul was ending recurrent funding, with many in the arts community, such as former PICA director Amy Barrett-Lennard, fearing it would make forward planning difficult and job cuts inevitable. Ms Barrett-Lennard had been seeking a six-year funding agreement to expand PICA’s coverage of all art forms.

When Mitch Fifield took over the arts portfolio in the Turnbull government he rebranded the fund Catalyst and gave the Australia Council back $32m, but Labor made it an election promise to scrap it completely.

Perth federal Labor MP Patrick Gorman told the Voice this week’s $5m for local arts organisations was proof they were living up to that commitment.

Saying it had been an important issue for him personally, Mr Gorman said the new model was “fairer and aimed at more small and middle-sized arts organisations” and would see a bigger share making its way across the Nullabor.

Centre for Stories

The Northbridge-based Centre for Stories received $960,000 over four years, which Mr Gorman said would enhance Australia’s engagement with the Indian Ocean region and beyond.

“It is our premier incubator for literature,” he said.

“They are ensuring stories of the Indian Ocean are captured, which Western Australians can do better than their colleagues over east.

“The Centre for Stories describes their mission statement as: ‘To create a vibrant, inclusive arts and cultural organisation that uses storytelling to inspire cohesion and understanding through rich and diverse programs’,” he said.

“In pursuing this goal, they enrich our local and national arts sectors.

“This funding will give them the security and stability to do so in the future.

“Funding the arts in Western Australia celebrates our unique perspective and the stories that only Western Australians can tell.”

Also receiving funding in the current four-year round was STRUT Dance ($1m), PVI Collective ($1.32m), Barking Gecko theatre ($1.06m) and the Performing Arts Centre Society ($800,000).

The funds will come through Creative Australia, which replaces the Australia Council after its launch in August last year.

Creativity

Federal arts minister Tony Burke said at the launch it was a “body that can be dedicated simply to Australian stories; simply to Australian creativity in all its forms”.

Mr Burke said there had been a long discussion about making sure people outside big cities had more access to arts.

“It’s important we’re going out to the suburbs, we’re going out to the regions, but not simply to perform other people’s stories, but to create together.

“If we get this right we will see each other – no matter who we are – we will get to see ourselves on stage, hear ourselves in song, read our own stories that reflect our homes, in poetry, in narrative, on the screen,” Mr Burke told the crowd.

by STEVE GRANT