Creative sector pushes for Brandis to lose Arts portfolio

Ahead of today’s ministerial shuffle, the Australia creative sector moved quickly to lobby for George Brandis’ removal as Arts Minister and to abandon his National Program for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA).

They want new PM, the more arts-sympathetic Malcolm Turnbull, to take on the role.

The ArtsHub site reported that among the letters written to Turnbull were from Nicole Beyer, co-convenor of ArtsPeak, the confederation of national peak service organisations and state arts industry councils. Beyer pointed out that as guidelines for the NPEA had still not been released, “It is not too late to prevent one of the worst decisions in the history of arts funding from decimating the arts in Australia.” The money should be returned to the Australia Council.

Beyer added, 'Now is also the time to give the Arts portfolio to someone else – Senator Brandis has clearly failed to be the advocate and steward of the arts that he promised.”

Brandis was reportedly among those who supported Turnbull in ousting Abbott.

Yesterday, members of Free The Arts, who also urged supporters to flood Turnbull’s office with emails and letters, organised a rally outside Turnbull’s electorate office in Wentworth to protest the NPEA. ArtsHub pointed out that over 100 artists and arts organisation who were funded by the Australia Council in the past 18 months are based in the Wentworth electorate.

In the meantime, delight at Abbott’s topple from power were being felt through the music industry.

Sydney punk band Until Abbott Gets Gone, who’ve been releasing a series of anti-Abbott songs, announced they would now be disbanding.

Thy Art Is Murder rushed out a limited edition T-shirt declaring ‘Bitch You’re Dead’ splashed over a graphic with blood oozing from his eyes.

Spare a thought for the team behind the political satire Abbott the Musical, which premiered in March at the Adelaide Fringe. Now has had to hunker down for some serious rewriting for Monday’s opening at the Melbourne Fringe.