Report: NSW arts minister redirected funds meant for arts associations

After the NSW arts sector reacted angrily in July for the state government’s “poorest funding round in history”, ABC Radio this morning reported that documents gained under freedom of information showed that arts minister Don Harwin personally intervened, cut funding and redirected it to another project.

As TMN reported at the time, there were 222 applications for round 2 of the Create NSW arts and cultural projects fund.

These totalled $8.2 million in possible funding.

But only six applications were passed, mostly for dance, which represented a paltry success rate of 2.7%, with a total spend of $256,029.

There was nothing for contemporary music.

At the time, 57 music and arts organisations protested the low strike rate.

According to the ABC, 17 arts projects were to have received funding, of a total of $660,000, as recommended by his department.

But Harwin rejected eleven of them, forcing the groups to cancel programs, and redirected them to “a special project”.

The ABC managed to identify some of the eleven.

These included Sydney Fringe festival which earmarked to receive $35,000 to subsidise the travel costs of regional artists to perform in Sydney.

Also missing out were a Leichhardt space to get $50,000 to present artworks by dozens of artists, and artist Paula Abood who was up for $46,000 for a multi-artform project.

Just what the “special project” is not known.

But the ABC’s documents hunt found that the project received $624,000, from the savings of the rejected bids, as well as an additional $220,000 taken from other parts of the arts portfolio.

The ABC reported, “a spokesman from Mr Harwin’s office would not confirm if that money was the first tranche of special funding of $1 million promised to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at precisely the same time.”

If true, it wouldn’t be the first time a state or federal arts minister used their power to advance projects of mates or supporters of their party.