UNDER Labor the arts has moved centre stage. And that is where it deserves to stay.
After all, our artists provide great nourishment for the community, are key to our sense of identity and often reflect the best expressions of our hopes and dreams.
Australian artists also make a significant contribution to our society in economic terms, with the creative industries adding an estimated $30 billion-plus to gross domestic product. And we are witnessing a great sea change in the way Australians connect with the arts. Recent Australia Council research shows, more than ever, people are producing, performing in and, importantly, supporting the arts.
Amid this burgeoning activity Labor has eschewed the faux culture debates and arguments around false dichotomies, such as art v sport, that characterised the Coalition’s approach to the arts in government. Rather than viewing the arts as an ideological battleground, we have concentrated on better program delivery, providing a stronger foundation for the creative sector in the future. In less than three years Labor has achieved a great deal for artists and arts organisations, delivering real reform and new investments. Reforms such as the introduction of a resale royalty scheme will deliver new income streams for our visual artists.
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And specifically in Aboriginal Art:
Fourth, we’ll continue to advance our indigenous arts and culture agenda, building on the important work that has resulted in historic increases in funding for Aboriginal artists; a new national approach to the preservation of indigenous languages; and greater transparency in the Aboriginal art market as a result of government support for the Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct.
