Have you ever noticed that, every federal election, the citizens of Australia are fed an image of a nation in greater turmoil than ever before? Education, health, immigration, innovation; all key issues of policy upon which, you will be told time and again, the future of the country rest upon.
But what about the arts?
For those who aren’t explicitly tied to the industry, there has always been a stigma associated with caring about the arts as part of a government’s platform. Its impact is rarely discussed out of the context of entertainment, and when it is – such as when the $300+ million Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales arrived on the Gold Coast – citizens declared it a waste of taxpayer money (see the comments for the standard of reactions at the time).
The truth is, the arts matter, and making that point has never been more important than in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
Under the Abbott/Turnbull government, 16,000 people have lost their jobs in the arts sector over the last 12 months alone, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That’s a 7.4% drop, the largest of any sector, even mining. Add to that a nearly $20 million cut to the ABC, a film industry managing to keep afloat only due to a few key international productions, and the government’s hoarding of arts funding as part of its Catalyst program, and the dire position which its in starts becoming clear.
I say starts because, though few people outside of the arts realise it, a strong cultural industry is the backbone to economic growth.
Here are a few key figures from the 2013 Economic Impact of the Victorian Arts and Cultural Sector report, which can be read in full here:
- In 2011, 400,000 cultural tourists visited Victoria. They spent an estimated $695 million on non-cultural expenditure during their trip.
- 9.6% of jobs in the manufacturing industry, which employs 856,000 Australians nationally, rely on the arts industry.
- As do nearly 5% of all accommodation/food, real estate, and construction jobs. That’s around 120,000 workers.
Factor in the boosts that major international productions bring in – Pirates is estimated to have injected $100 million into the local economy alone – and it’s clear why the arts cannot, and should not, be sidelined any longer.
It seems that’s becoming clearer, with today’s National Arts Debate being held at The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne CBD trending across social media. While Shadow-Minister for the Arts Mark Dreyfus, and Melbourne Greens MP Adam Bandt had already announced much in the way of their parties policies leading up to the event, it was damning to see LNP Arts Minister, Senator Mitch Fifield, spending his time defending current policy rather than revealing changes that reinstate the independence and prosperity that the industry has never had to fight harder to achieve.
How we preserve and grow our cultural history, while striving to remain relevant in both traditional mediums like theatre and film and ever-expanding digital mediums such as video games and virtual reality is important. Not just to those who work in the sector. Nor just those who find entertainment in the arts, or whose businesses reap the rewards of a thriving cultural landscape.
It is important for all Australians.
For those interested in today’s debate, it can be viewed in full over at ArtSpeak.