South Australian budget boosts support for live music

South Australia’s state budget this week announced a spending boost for the state’s live music.

The government committed itself to spend $550,000 per year for 2019 and 2020 “supporting the growth of live music across the state and enhancing programs that connect with schools and universities to engage more young people through music programs.”

The budget also provides $1.25 million in 2018 – 19 to support the attraction of major performance events for the 2019 Adelaide Festival.

“The Marshall Liberal government will return the focus of government arts funding to artists and arts organisations,” said premier Steven Marshall.

“Funding will be redirected from government administration towards grant programs and new initiatives to grow our creative industries and attract visitors to South Australia.”

In recent weeks, the government has shifted Arts South Australia into the department of the premier and cabinet, removed its CEO and moved some of its program to the department of education.

In the budget, grants funding totalling $1 million will be provided to local musicians and artists to live and work in the state.

$1 million will go towards upgrades to regional venues The Chaffey Theatre, Northern Festival Centre and Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre.

The government stated: “In order to meet the $715 million savings task by 2021-22 left by the former Labor government and to deliver the new state government’s priorities, the 2018-19 state budget includes a revised savings task for the arts portfolio.

“The new state government is supporting the arts portfolio by reducing the savings task left to it by the former government by $2.2 million over the forward estimates.

“The 2018-19 budget outlines a responsible and achievable savings plan for the arts.

“This includes modest efficiency targets for institutions and programs, as well as a refocusing of Arts SA on the provision of policy advice to government, with other administrative functions being incorporated into the department of premier and cabinet’s existing corporate structure,” said premier Marshall.

The arts portfolio will be required to meet savings of up to $9.2 million per year by 2021-22.

The budget also provides $21.5 million over four years to draw more major events – including music and cultural ones – to the state, and create more SA events to attract tourists.

The Arts Industry Council of South Australia (AICSA) is holding a state budget briefing forum on Thursday, September 13 at 5:30pm at ACE Open.

It said, “AICSA is greatly concerned by this development. In the absence of detail regarding future intent, this decision (axing the Arts SA CEO post), coupled with the recent dividing of the arts and culture portfolio among other ministries, can be perceived as a diminution of the Arts within the department of premier and cabinet.”

It is hoping to meet with the premier and has been corresponding with his department on a number of issues.

These include an update on the government’s ‘Investing in the Arts’ pre-election commitments, including the development of South Australia’s first arts plan in almost 20 years; establishment of a commissioner for cultural development; and an injection of $1million per annum increase to funding for new art and early career artists.

It is also now concerned “that potential reductions in both the status of and staffing at Arts South Australia will reduce the sector’s capacity to work strategically with the South Australian government.”