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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 2 Hansard (21 May) . . Page.. 503 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

We need to recognise the roles of community festivals. These festivals are often regarded by government as small things out in the suburbs. When I speak about this I do not refer to the biggies like the Canberra Festival, Floriade and things like that. I talk about the smaller ones, like the Tuggeranong Community Festival, and like the Belconnen Community Festival which received funding this year for the first time for a long time. I wish them all the very best in their festival for this year. We need to understand that these festivals are an artistic expression. They bring together the range of arts activities. They give expression to the arts connected with multiculturalism, the local arts talents which are about. They create opportunities for emerging artists and musicians which often the big festivals do not do.

Mr Deputy Speaker, this Government needs to recognise, indeed, the Assembly needs to recognise, the role of volunteers in these smaller festivals. They perform those roles without remuneration but with commitment because they are committed to their community. An example of what I was saying a moment ago about the role of festivals furthering the arts can be seen in the Tuggeranong Community Festival Rotary arts prizes. I noticed earlier that there is major expenditure on the provision of prints. The Rotary arts prize sponsored by the Tuggeranong Community Festival provides a couple of hundred originals from original artists on original scenery and original activities within the Tuggeranong Valley, and I am sure this is mirrored elsewhere. I would be encouraging those purchasers of artworks to visit these smaller ones.

When we talk about the many millions of dollars put into the arts, I am a little concerned that it is at the top level. I am concerned that we spend millions of dollars on male elite sports such as the Brumbies. I recognise that the Government puts money into large-scale arts events, as I have mentioned, such as the Canberra Festival, the Multicultural Festival and Floriade. I include Floriade as an artistic expression. I would question the allocation to the smaller activities such as the community festivals, and also to such activities as junior sports, girls and women's sports, and the smaller arts activities. Perhaps we as a government could do a little bit better. I put myself and my side of the house together with the Government on this. I just wonder whether our minds are really applied to the amount of support that we give to the smaller-scale activities.

I realise that many dollars go to Tuggeranong community arts for the provision of a community arts officer, and we are particularly grateful for that. But I wonder whether or not the level of those funds is sufficient. I sometimes wonder whether the process could not be looked at in terms of how those funds are allocated with regard to the community festival type of stuff. Mr Deputy Speaker, we need also to recognise that arts is a tourism thing, and I think there has already been mention of that. The Tuggeranong community is developing a pamphlet to attract people to come and see the wonderful arts and crafts in our area. I would urge us all to think seriously about the level of resources to smaller activities.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Hargreaves; you kept to that time limit nicely. I think we will get our speakers in.

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