Curtain call for City arts incubators

BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS

The announcement in May of what arts organisation made the cut has shocked many inner city theatres who may struggle to survive.

In the City of Sydney, at least four arts organisations will have their funding dramatically reduced, as part of the Federal Government’s cuts to the Australia Council last year.

The PACT theatre in Erskineville is one of the city’s arts institutions which will be hit hardest by the cuts. It will lose 40 per cent of its funding in July as part of the cuts announced in May. The organisation has existed for 52 years. Head of the organisation Katrina Douglas told City Hub that the idea of replacing 40 per cent of their operating budget in only a matter of months was impossible.

Australia Council multi year funding was 40 per cent of our annual income. We don’t have a fund raising and development team to step up and find that money. We are looking at diversifiying income, but that comes slowly, we can’t turn around and find 40 per cent of our income in a matter of months,” she told City Hub.

She said that organisations and companies that were solely dedicated to supporting artists, in their first five years, had had their funding cut. She said that this would have a run on effect in five to ten years time.

“The impact will be artists coming out of training colleges, they won’t have the support they need. They will seek work elsewhere, or seek work overseas, we will see less diversity on our stages.”

She said that in terms of performance art, Australia was currently world renowned for producing their work around the world.

“Australian artists are world renowned. Recently Cat Jones, just won a major international award in LA. At the moment, we’re seen as producing great artists and very sought after artists, and that will become less and less.”

She said that no decisions had yet been made on what would inevitably cut, but said it would be a mix of increasing venue hire as well as reducing the number of artists they were able to engage. She said the roll on effect would be huge, and it would be the artists who suffered the most.

The Australian Design Centre on William Street in Darlinghurst were also unsuccessful in the four year grant rounds.

The Centre’s Director Lisa Cahill said it was among the most innovative arts institutions in the country.

“With a 50-year reputation in design and creativity, it is a history that gives the organisation substantial credibility as an authority in creative arts, craft and design. Along with this has come a reputation for innovative thinking and creative thought leadership,” she said in a statement following the cuts.

She said that the Design Centre had previously been the only organisation to receive an increase in funding in the previous round.

Board member of the Australian Design Centre Oliver Smith said that design was key to other Federal Government policies of innovation.

“At a time when the Federal Government is talking up innovation and the so-called ideas boom as the keys to Australia’s future prosperity, the championing of design and interdisciplinary collaboration is vital. The organisation prides itself on showcasing the leading thinkers in the field and the greatest makers whose skills, imagination and inventiveness influence the world”.

City of Sydney Labor Councillor Linda Scott said the cuts would hurt the jobs and livelihood of many in the inner city.

“These cuts are devastating for inner city Sydney, which has so many wonderful creative people, creative organisations. These cuts go to the heart of our creative economy, because they risk jobs, they risk gutting the arts,” she told City Hub.

She said that the federal government cuts would ostensibly a cost shift which would put more pressure on councils such as the city.

“As a councillor, the great concern is the risk to our creative sector in COS , but also the budgetary pressure on arts grants will increase.

“Every time a cut is made in the arts, understandably that is more orgs that need to apply for COS grants, and conversation with their council about funding. This is a cost shift from the federal gov. if we want these organisations to survive.”

She said that the fact that there was now increased ministerial control over who got funding was a point of concern.

“The Liberal government’s cuts and decision to place arts funding under ministerial control threaten the creative potential.”