2015 Budget compromises creative arts sector, writers say

22 May, 2015

The Australian Writers’ Guild – which represents more than 2,200 writers in stage, new media, television and film – believes the latest changes to industry funding demonstrate a fundamental failure in Canberra’s understanding of the creative arts sector.

AWG Executive Director Jacqueline Elaine says that Australia’s stage, screen and new media industries are not only at the heart of Australia’s cultural identity, they are also a vital and dynamic growth sector in the international trade of intellectual property.

“They not only shapes and reflect our national identity but are an important area of economic activity,” she says.

AWG President Jan Sardi says the sectors’ influence internationally and importance to the local economy should not be underestimated.

“Our members are independent contractors and small businesses collaborating with both local and international production companies, creating Australian stories for Australians and for the world,”says Oscar nominated screenwriter, Jan Sardi.

“While the AWG acknowledges some small business benefits from this budget may flow to our members, that amounts to nothing in the face of fundamental failure to recognise the value our industry adds to national wealth and well-being.”

Jan Sardi says this will inevitably result in “not only a loss of original Australian content on our stages and screens, but a loss of talent, as our most impressive and creative artists will be drawn overseas or forced out of the industry.” 

Ms Elaine adds the AWG is especially concerned by the decision to take $104.7 million over four years from the Australia Council to fund a National Program for Excellence in the Arts to be run by the Arts Ministry and further budget cuts to Screen Australia.

The Screen Australia cuts come hard on the heels of the $38 million over four years slashed in last year’s budget and run counter to the Government’s stated aim to encourage greater productivity in our industry.

“Screen Australia made enormous efforts to rein in costs whilst maintaining support to a vital Australian industry,” she says, “those efforts are now being penalised with further cuts.”

Ms Elaine says the changes to the Australia Council funding are ill-conceived cultural imperialism and especially damaging when implemented in the absence of a cohesive cultural industry policy.

“Within a week we are already seeing the destabilising effect these changes are having upon the arts industry, with the Australia Council immediately putting a hold on new grant and longer term funding applications ” she says.

“This decision raises serious questions about the potential for the imposition of political ideology upon the arts.” she says.

“Government controlled cultural imperialism has an inauspicious track record. The assumption that political parties of any persuasion will make better use of these taxpayer funds in nurturing culture and the creative industries than the creators and entrepreneurs themselves, is disingenuous and self-serving from a government so committed to privatisation elsewhere.”