Page 2863 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
committee, I know that there was a lot of discussion about the arts in the committee, particularly from the Belconnen Arts Centre and the Childers Group. One of the criticisms—certainly the Childers Group was talking about it—is about a long-term arts strategy for the ACT.
One of the recommendations, recommendation 20, was:
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government create a long‐term arts strategy with particular focus on funding of the sector, facilities development, increasing participation, developing events, and cultural tourism.
The government’s response was:
Agreed.
The government says it has an ACT arts policy framework as a long-term strategy which is regularly reviewed.
I want to stop right there. The ACT policy framework is hardly a strategy. It might be a framework of things that the government hopes to achieve, but there is very little detail, if any, on how they will achieve it. Like all frameworks, it has some principles in it:
Principle One: Facilitate Community Participation …
Principle Two: Support Artistic Excellence …
Principle Three: Strengthen … Sustainability …
Principle Four: Foster Artistic Innovation …
It does not actually say how they are going to do it. As a strategy, you would think it would outline what the government might do.
Let us just look at principle 1:
Principle One: Facilitate Community Participation in and Access to the Arts …
Key elements of the principle are funding local arts organisations, championing importance, encouraging the community, embracing Canberra’s position and fostering relationships. But when you look at the detail on how that might be done, there is no detail, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I acknowledge your long-term, and I know very heartfelt, interest in the arts and the importance of the sector.
That is the problem. You have got a government that says, “Because we have a document we have done it.” The reality is that they have got a document and they do not do it. Like so many things in this city, the arts community runs despite the government; there is certainly no leadership in the arts in that regard. To say that “we have got a framework” is a long-term strategy—there are no targets; there are no time frames; there is no indication of how it will be achieved.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video