Taking Centre Stage
Opening Addres
Australian Perfoming Arts Centres Association
Annual Conference Brisbance
23 September 2004
Good morning and welcome.
As the senior Minister in the Coalition with overall responsibility for strategic direction in the Arts, I am delighted to have an opportunity to open your annual conference.
Although I have only been in the portfolio a matter of weeks, I can indicate to you the importance I attach to this part of a large portfolio, and some priorities and directions for the portfolio of a re-elected Coalition Government.
At the outset, I would like to commend the interest and effort that my colleague, Senator Kemp, has demonstrated in day to day management of the Arts.
I know many of you will have met and worked with him. He has embodied the Coalition's guiding philosophy-which is to encourage excellence and access to culture and the arts-to encourage an environment in which arts and culture can thrive, where arts organisations can achieve excellence and which all Australians can enjoy.
This underlying philosophy provides a sound base for me to look at the directional needs and challenges in the sector from my own personal perspective as a passionate supporter and advocate for what you do.
A stint in the Treasury portfolio as the Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer, where fiscal responsibility is a guiding principle, has enlivened my interest in the place of our cultural institutions in the economy and the way funding decisions are made.
My proposition is that our culture provides the framework for everything we do. All policy settings and responses will have our underlying values as a reference point.
Our culture and values tell us what sort of society we aspire to be and will inform how we address social issues.
It is our values that interpret to us and for us what it means to be Australian, to live in a community, to work in an economy and to have dreams for our children and grandchildren in a world where the shadow of global unrest and gruesome attacks on innocent people is almost daily fare.
Enabling an understanding of ourselves, our communities, our nation and the globe is a central task of the arts and our cultural institutions.
The Arts provide a window on Australia and Australians and can speak to us in an artistic and cultural language that is uniquely ours.
The Arts can reveal our cultural heart, peeling away the layers of our society and can help us to recognise and appreciate our work, our leisure, our diversity. It can offer new perspectives, challenge our beliefs, make us think about things bigger than we are.
I don't need to tell you that Arts and culture are all these things that define and shape and interpret who we are.
I cannot remember a time when it has been more important to foster, engage and develop the Arts.
Call it serendipity-but it so happens that in the mix of my portfolio responsibilities, I also have information technology, where innovation, science and research are regarded as pivotal to the knowledge economy.
Why should the Arts be regarded any differently?
I am fortified in my view that the Arts are central to understanding Australian values by remarks made by Professor Iain McCalman, the President of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, in his imaginative address to the National Press Club this year titled "Making Culture Bloom".
He said: "the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences are central to any civilized and decent society. This is because they are about what it means to be human. They need to be fostered and cherished, not as handmaidens of science and technology but for themselves, as equal partners. At the heart of our work lies a core concern for all Australians - that of human values."
These thoughts speak volumes and are aligned with my own thinking and the perspectives that I will bring to this marvellously diverse and interesting part of the portfolio.
APACA
There is so much to look forward to. Australia has world class artists and performers and a professional and dedicated arts sector.
Our musicians, dancers and actors are having a significant impact here and on the international stage.
And before I go on, I want to recognise the importance to the arts community of well run and well organised performing arts centres.
Without a network of professionally run, well-managed and innovative performance venues our access to live performances, theatre, opera and music would be severely compromised.
Within the cities, in regional centres and rural communities, right across Australia, performance centres are often the focus of a community, making a huge contribution to the life of the region and giving local stories a forum and local creators a stage.
In addition, umbrella organisations like APACA play a vital role for the industry and are extremely important to Government.
I know APACA was instrumental in making the Government aware of the demands on both the Regional Arts Fund and Playing Australia, and of the need for additional funding.
I can't stress enough the value that APACA and other similar industry groups bring to the Government's deliberations about future directions, and the importance of relevant industry advice in planning and making financial decisions for the future.
As you know, arts and culture present a very wide and colourful palette. The Coalition will maintain and enhance its commitment to the performing arts and this commitment will be spelt out in our Arts policy launch shortly.
But let me focus briefly on some of the Howard Government's work and achievements to date for the Arts generally. In the time we have this morning will not be able to mention every initiative or achievement, nor every Arts institution, but I have sought to identify some of the things that may be of particular interest to those of us here today.
Government support for the Arts
Australian Government support for the Arts is at record levels and our ability to maintain a strong economy can continue to provide a sustainable foundation for the ongoing support that Arts and culture needs and deserves.
It is only with a strong economy that any government can make and maintain sound funding decisions.
The Howard Government has a record of economic management that translates into an ability to fund the Arts, and we have the political will to do so.
We want to encourage excellence in the Arts and this starts with our national training institutions.
Training institutions and excellence
The Coalition spends around $30 million annually on Arts training organisations, supporting such diverse bodies as the Australian Ballet School, the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Flying Fruit Fly Circus and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).
We are committed to the future of these organisations and are continually looking for the best ways to help them develop and grow.
As you know, NIDA, which is 25 years old this year, is Australia's premier training institute for theatre, film and television.
Since 1996, the Coalition has increased funding for NIDA, enabling it to build and maintain new state-of-the-art facilities and enhance its program. It's now a far cry from the 'old tin shed' days when the NIDA theatre was a corrugated-iron army mess hall built when the Kensington Racecourse became a military training centre during World War II.
Just last week ago I was privileged to share a celebration of the work of the Director, John Clark, who will retire this year after 30 years guiding NIDA.
The Australian Ballet School has been producing outstanding ballet dancers, teachers and choreographers for 40 years and the Coalition is committed to the future of the School, as we are to the future of the National Aboriginal and Islander Dance Skills Development Association.
The National Institute of Circus Arts was established in 2000 and the Coalition continues to strongly support NICA, with the announcement in the 2004-05 Budget of an additional $2.4 million in operational funding and $6 million to assist with the construction of a new training and performance venue.
These are substantial commitments and will allow these important institutions to continue with their work and to have confidence for the future.
The year of music
The Coalition has announced a strategic review of its elite classical music training organisations, the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Australian National Academy of Music.
The review will examine the high-level classical music performance training funded by the Australian Government and to guide the Government's future involvement in the sector.
The review will provide advice to the Government on recognised international best practice in classical music performance training. It will study the vocational and industry context in which ANAM and the AYO operate and recommend possible future directions for elite training in classical music performance in Australia.
We will also review our Symphony and Pit Orchestras to ensure the delivery of high quality orchestral services in Australia. This Review is an opportunity for orchestras and governments to work to improve the long-term sustainability of the sector.
The Review follows a recommendation of the 1999 Major Performing Arts Inquiry, and is to be conducted within the framework of the Nugent Inquiry's principles.
As you know, Australia boasts six State symphony orchestras and two opera and ballet orchestras. Each contributes to Australia's distinctive cultural life and is enjoyed by both local audiences and tourists.
Originally part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the State symphony orchestras now operate as independent subsidiary companies supported by the Australian and State Governments.
The Review will consider operational, marketplace and governance issues and will also consider the role of Darwin Symphony Orchestra and Canberra Symphony Orchestra in the context of the broader orchestral sector in Australia.
Earlier this week I met the Managing Director of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Heyward. It gave me an appreciation of just how important to local audiences each of these orchestras are.
The third review will be a national Review of School Music Education to investigate the quality and status of music education in our schools and how we can increase both for the benefit of all students.
Music education provides powerful learning experiences for our children and has the potential to assist them in achieving diverse and valuable educational outcomes. Music education stimulates multiple skills and connects with all children regardless of background.
These three reviews, in many ways, makes 2004 the 'year of music'.
Clearly, there is much to be done.
Beyond the training of our artists, we are also committed to programs that encourage and reward excellence.
Rewarding excellence
While in office, the Howard Government has taken opportunities to expand various programs and we established the Nugent inquiry into the major performing arts companies, which led to an additional $45 million over four years being provided to the major performing arts companies.
The Australian Government now provides around $75 million annually to the 28 major performing arts companies.
We also established the Myer inquiry, which led to identification of new priorities and an additional $39 million over four years being provided for visual arts and crafts.
The Australia Council
The Australia Council is the principal arts funding body and source of advice to government. The funding to the Australia Council of $398 million over 3 years is a commitment to achieving excellence and the creation of artistic opportunities.
The Australia Council provides over 1700 grants each year to artists and arts organisations across the country in a wide range of fields.
The Australia Council supports strategies to develop new audiences and new markets for the Arts both here and internationally.
It also conducts research and policy development, providing advice and feedback to governments and industry on issues affecting artists and the Arts community.
Through the Australia Council, the Government also funds artists and arts organisations involved in, amongst other things, dance, literature, music, theatre, and visual arts and crafts.
The Young and Emerging Artists program provides new Australian artists with greater opportunities for career development and public exposure of their work.
The work of the Australia Council includes a booklet about Risk Management and Insurance for Arts Enterprises, applications for grants to foster excellence in dance and movement arts through programs that develop the dance sector overall, and calls for nominations for the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards which pay tribute to outstanding achievement in drama, dance, music, mime, opera, circus and puppetry.
AbaF
A key initiative, which will play an important role in shifting the Arts to Centre Stage is our initiative to encourage partnerships between the business community and the arts.
Clearly, government can't do it all. To embrace and support the Arts in a way that is meaningful to all of us requires commitment from others as well - from business and the community at large.
That is why the Coalition is committed to the Australian Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) which aims to increase private sector support for Australian arts and cultural endeavours.
The Foundation does very important work, forming strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships which can make a very real contribution to the diversity of communities across Australia.
With the support of the Howard Government, the number of partnerships has more than doubled since 2001/02 and the partnerships have increasingly benefited smaller and local arts organisations and businesses.
The work of the Foundation includes volunteering programs, a publications program and a philanthropy program.
Philanthropy is and will always be an important part of the funding mix in the Arts sector and the Howard Government, recognising this, has significantly strengthened the tax incentives that have been provided to encourage philanthropy.
The Register of Cultural Organisations allows approved cultural organisations to offer tax deductions to donors for eligible donations, which have increased from $14 million in 1996-97 to $32 million in 2003-04.
There has been a significant increase in donations under the Cultural Gifts program which provides tax deductions for donations of significant cultural items to museums, libraries and galleries.
And the Government moved to introduce a new initiative from 1 July 2004 so that individuals contributing $250 or more to a deductible gift recipient to attend a fundraising event, where a minor associated benefit is received, will be able to claim a tax deduction for the difference between the contribution and the value of the benefit.
These initiatives to encourage greater philanthropic support for the Arts and to bring about strong partnerships between the Arts and business can only be positive for the Arts sector. They will continue to strengthen the already strong foundations for Arts funding and to create links that will engender effective and enduring relationships.
Access to the Arts
To complement our commitment to excellence and support for the artistic community, we also want to encourage access to the arts in Australia, and to encourage Australians to celebrate our culture and creativity.
In the words of an economist, we need to look at the demand side as well as the supply side of the equation.
While as a nation we benefit from the international fame of our most recognised artists, the Coalition wants to ensure that all Australians can experience artistic and cultural activity first hand.
There is no doubt that artists and audiences in rural and regional Australia also want to participate in and experience the arts as much as those living in metropolitan and urban areas.
For this reason, the Coalition has focussed on programs to increase access to the arts in rural and regional Australia.
I would like to highlight two of these programs today that I am sure you will be familiar with - the Regional Arts Fund and Playing Australia.
The Regional Arts Fund
The Regional Arts Fund was established by the Coalition in 1996, and is a very successful program that provides financial support for arts centres, artists, arts organisations and companies.
Projects have included activities as diverse as writers' workshops, creation of public murals, sculpture festivals, choral singing events and theatre productions that tell regional stories.
In May, the Coalition announced that it had renewed its commitment to the Regional Arts Fund with funding of $10.7 million over four years.
Even better, we were able to announce on 10 September that the Coalition would provide additional funding of $5.4 million over four years to the Regional Arts Fund.
The additional $5.4 million will enable Regional Arts organisations to:
- employ more regional arts development officers;
- provide workshops, mentoring, professional training, conferences and other support for those working in regional arts organisations; and
- provide skills training for volunteers working with arts and cultural organisations in regional Australia.
Another program that may be of particular interest to APACA is Playing Australia, our performing arts touring program.
Playing Australia
Playing Australia is probably our most successful and popular funding program. It combines our twin aims of encouraging excellence and supporting access.
Through Playing Australia, the Australian Government has supported tours by leading companies like the Australian Ballet and Australian Opera but we have also supported smaller and less well known companies, including from regional Australia.
For a time, Playing Australia was in some ways a victim of its own success. There was increasing pressure on the funds available.
So, in the 2004-05 Budget, the Coalition committed an additional $2 million per annum to Playing Australia, which represents a more than 50 per cent increase, and takes annual funding to $5.8 million.
Recently announced grants totalling approximately $2.8million were allocated to 24 productions including performances from the Bell Shakespeare Company, Main Street Theatre Company, Queensland Ballet and Playbox Theatre Company.
Other beneficiaries in this round are Circus Oz which is presenting a production involving traditional circus skills, live music and theatre, as well as Opera Australia's production of Carmen.
A third regional initiative that I will also mention is Heartwork: Great Stories from Regional Australia - a publication showcasing 35 significant arts projects and highlighting the quality and scope of artistic activity that is happening beyond Australia's metropolitan centres.
Conclusion-moving Centre Stage
From what I have said, you will know that I am ambitious for the Arts sector to move Centre Stage.
There needs to be a debate in this country about the status and role of the Arts in contemporary Australian society. The case needs to be made for the long term economic benefits that flow from enlightened cultural policies.
Whether it is dance, film, opera, theatre, classical or contemporary music, literature, new media or the visual arts, each art form has the capacity to tell our stories to make sense of our world and to simply enrich all of our lives.
I look forward with much anticipation to making the journey to Centre Stage with you in my new role if re-elected.
Meanwhile, I take great pleasure in declaring open your annual conference and wish you a most productive and enjoyable time together.