The Attack on the Arts Ends
June 9, 2022
A unanimous sigh of relief rippled across Australia with Labor finally forming government again after nine long, gruelling years. THE NINE-YEAR POLITICAL ATTACK ON THE ART AND ENTERTAINMENT SECTOR CAN NOW END. The pain the Coalition government has inflicted on artists has been real. We’ve all felt it & have had to double-down on our resilience to keep the Arts alive – despite the war that has been waged against us (see our previous blog The Attack on the Arts).
After all this hostility, not to mention two horrible years of COVID-19, the question we are now asking is, “How can we rebuild?” According to The Hon Tony Burke MP in his opinion piece for ArtsHub, the first step is a comprehensive cultural policy, which is a whole government exercise. “Because anyone who understands the sector knows arts isn’t simply about entertainment, leisure and hobbies. At its best it affects our education policy, our health policy, our trade, our relations around the world, our industrial relations approach and is a driver of economic growth” The Coalition didn’t change the cultural policy implemented by the previous Labor government to something more conservative. “They abolished it and replaced it with nothing. For nearly a decade there has been no cultural policy guiding the advice of departments of decisions of ministers.” THE EFFECTS HAVE BEEN DIRE.
So along with celebrating the Albanese government taking over the reins on so many issues crying out for leadership (climate change, aged care, health care, living costs…), we can now rest more assured that Australia once again has a Prime Minister who loves, respects, and values the work of artists. Works can now re-commence on reviving the long-gone-but-not-forgotten cultural policy to have it relaunched this year. MUSIC TO OUR EARS.
THE STRUGGLE HAS BEEN REAL BUT THAT MEANS VICTORY WILL TASTE ALL THE MORE SWEETER!
We at Bamboozled Productions have kept our eyes firmly peeled on the festival horizon. We very much look forward to celebrating this political and cultural milestone with you in realising your creative visions for your upcoming events. So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us and let’s get to work 🙂
Photograph: Rick Rycroft/AP courtesy of theguardian.com