SA arts sectors asks for $17m State Govt investment

South Australia’s arts sector is seeking an investment of $17.26 million in artists and small-to-medium arts organisations over the next four years in the next state budget in June 2017.

The Arts Industry Council of South Australia (AICSA) wrote to SA Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis with a five-prong proposal that would represent a 40% rise in funding.

AICSA, which represents 100 organisations and artists, also asked the State Government to form a cross-departmental 18-month taskforce, to develop a long-term arts and cultural strategy prior to the next state election.

“This type of cross-government approach successfully led to a sector-supported, ambitious and progressive creative industries strategy, called Creative State, in Victoria, launched earlier this year”, said Gail Kovatseff, Chairperson of AICSA and Director of the Media Resource Centre.

The AICSA letter congratulates the Government on a number of achievements. One was returning $7.7 million previously cut to Arts South Australia, in this year’s budget. Another was the upgrade to Her Majesty’s Theatre, and other infrastructure and presentation platforms, worth $35.2 million.

However, it notes, funding for the small-to-medium sector, independent artists, community engagement, and innovation in the arts, remains at an all-time low and needs urgent investment … especially given the current Federal hostility to the arts.

“Losing arts organisations and artists undermines investment in festivals, arts markets, cultural infrastructure, the nighttime and small bars economy, and more broadly it greatly undermines the marketing of Adelaide as an arts capital”, said Ms Kovatseff.

The five proposals are:

* A $2 million per annum increase to funds available to Arts SA’s peer-assessed programs that directly benefit small-to-medium organisations and individual artists. This would be a 40% increase in funds, for programs covering arts organisations, makers and presenters, ATSI arts development, disability and contemporary music.

* Eight annual fellowships, of $80,000 each, offered annually across artistic disciplines for artists who are ten-plus years into professional practice. This initiative is valued at $2.56m over four years.

* 20 early-career artist development grants per annum, of $30,000 each, targeted at professional and art form development opportunities for artists in their first ten years of professional practice. This initiative is valued at approximately $2.4m over four years.

* A new peer assessed grant program offered twice per year for new work and artistic projects, which demonstrate innovation and experimentation. It will be open to both individual artists and arts organisations. Its annual budget is $1 million, indexed over four years. With indexation, this initiative is valued at approximately $4.1m over four years.

* A cross-departmental State Government taskforce, to develop an arts and cultural strategy for South Australia prior to the next state election in 2018.

The taskforce would include, at a minimum, the Dept. of State Development, Dept. for Communities and Social Inclusion, Dept. for Education and Child Development, Dept. of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Dept. for Health and Ageing, Dept. of Premier and Cabinet, and the Dept. of Treasury and Finance.

The taskforce would release a report prior to the state election. AICSA also emphasised that the outcome in the budget would also determine how the arts sector would campaign during the run-up to the election.

The SA Government has responded that the AICSA proposal would be considered as part of the 2017 state budget process.