More Details Emerge About Music Australia Council

The Federal Government has introduced the legislation to Parliament which will see the formation of Creative Australia and Music Australia.

The drafted legislation has provided more of a picture of how Music Australia would operate, including its structure and its Board, which will actually be known as the Music Australia Council.

The Music Australia Council will consist of eight representatives with “relevant and appropriate experience in music”, the Australia Council for the Arts said. Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, will make the appointments, which will run for four years.

The Council will be charged with advising the Board of Creative Australia – which will remain known as he Australia Council Board – about the responsibilities of Music Australia, which are:

• Supporting and promoting Australian contemporary music practice
• Supporting and promoting the development of markets and audiences for Australian contemporary music

Adrian Collette, the CEO of the Australia Council of the Arts/ Creative Australia will be the chair of the Council, as would any subsequent CEO. He will appoint a director of Music Australia in consultation with the Minister.

In addition, the Australia Council Board will increase from 12 people to 14 people, who will also be appointed by the Minister.

The previously announced Centre for Art and Entertainment Workplaces has also officially been rebranded as Creative Workplaces. It too will have a Council, which will consist of six people appointed by the Minister for four years.

Their role will be to advise the Australia Council Board on the responsibilities of Creative Workplaces, which are:

• Promoting fair, safe and respectful workplaces for Australian artists, people employed, or engaged, by organisations that are engaged in, or supported by, Australian arts practice, people involved in Australian arts practice
• Providing information and advice about fair, safe and respectful workplaces

A director of Creative Workplaces will be appointed by Collette in consultation with the Minister, but the chair of the council will be an external appointment.

Burke said the Creative Australia Bill 2023 brings drive, direction and vision back to the Australian arts industry.

“Australia’s artists and creatives are essential workers. They deserve safe workplaces and fair pay, like any other worker. Creative Workplaces will ensure that,” he added.

“Contemporary music in Australia has been ignored by Government for too long. Music Australia will change that. We want to make sure that the soundtrack to life in Australia has contemporary Australian music there for every single beat.”

Future legislation will embed a First Nations led body within Creative Australia and also establish Writer’s Australia.

CEO of the Australia Council, Collette, said: “This is a historic moment for the Australia Council, which has a 50-year legacy of supporting arts and culture in Australia, including investment in First Nations’ arts and creative practice.

“Creative Australia will be a bigger and bolder champion and investor, bringing together public and private partnerships for maximum impact.

“With artists at the heart of all we do, Creative Australia will invest to build audiences and marketplaces for Australian stories to be shared on a national and international scale, to connect us, and bring our rich culture to the world.”

Earlier this week, it emerged Tina Arena had left the Australia Council Board.

You can read the full National Cultural Policy here, and access an in-depth discussion about Creative Australia and Music Australia with TMN here.