‘Reaffirmation’: $80 million for arts sector in landmark state cultural policy
Arts South Australia will be relaunched as CreateSA, along with $80 million in newly announced funding over four years.
After months of delay and anticipation the state government has unveiled a new cultural policy for the state, with an $80 million injection of funding including $15 million for the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Following months of consultation with the sector in 2024, the new 10-year policy — dubbed ‘A Place to Create’ — will see Arts South Australia rebranded as CreateSA along with a suite of new funding announcements for the next four years.
Revealing the new policy at Lion Arts Factory this morning alongside Arts Minister Andrea Michaels, Premier Peter Malinauskas said the new policy would provide “guardrails” to guide future government investment in arts and culture.
The Art Gallery of South Australia has emerged the single biggest beneficiary of the new policy, with $15 million earmarked for the delivery of “world class programs” including a new ‘Winter Art’ series.
Youth arts initiatives have also attracted $2.5 million to be delivered via Carclew, the Adelaide Youth Orchestra, and the State Library of South Australia, which will launch an “interactive new language rich experience” to be added to the library’s North Terrace home.
Art Gallery of South Australia. Photo: Supplied
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A further $1 million will be allocated to stimulating philanthropic support for organisations like Adelaide Festival via dollar-for-dollar fundraising programs. First Nations arts and culture will receive $2.3 million in support, along with a $1 million boost in grant funding and an extra $1.5 million for the Music Development Office to support its existing live music initiatives.
$500,000 will be directed to the regions through Country Arts SA, along with a $4 million “in kind” contribution to a new hub at Adelaide School of Art announced earlier this year with $7 million in federal funding.
In announcing the new policy Malinauskas repeatedly invoked the legacy of Dunstan era reforms, but said that recent years had seen investment slide.
“Our state has a well-deserved reputation as Australia’s great hub of arts and culture,” he said.
“This hasn’t happened by chance – it is something that was built with deliberate intent.
“His legacy has remained for half a century, during which our state’s leadership in the arts has remained unassailable. But that very success has made the arts sector easy for government to take for granted.”
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Art Gallery of South Australia board chair Sandy Verschoor, Premier Peter Malinauskas, and Art Gallery of South Australia director Jason Smith
While the Marshall government’s 2019 Arts Plan outlined no new government expenditure and emphasised a need for artists and organisations to seek non-government funding streams, the Premier reaffirmed the importance of government support.
“Art must be continued to be democratised. Art should not and cannot be expected to rely on the generosity of benefactors, nor should it be the exclusive preserve of hobbyists with a strong and healthy independent income. Hence, it is critical that government shows support,” he said.
The Premier also spoke to the importance of supporting the arts outside major festivals like Adelaide Festival and the Adelaide Fringe.
“These events are international calling cards for our state and vital to our reputation and creative economy, but they are only possible so long as we have a vibrant, grassroots industry here in South Australia,” Malinauskas said.
Minister Michaels also announced the beginning of consultation for an Arts Culture and Creative Industries Bill 2025 that would enshrine in legislation the role of the arts.
One notable omission from the policy reveal was Tarrkarri, the North Terrace Aboriginal arts and culture gallery that was once set to be a nation-leading drawcard, but has since stalled due to budget concerns.
“The Tarrkarri dream for us is still alive,” Malinauskas said today, before adding that additional funding partners were needed before progress was made.
The Premier alluded to as-yet unannounced agreements with unnamed private funders that he claimed were “not insignificant”.
“We would like to see more,” he added.
Jason Smith, the recently appointed director of the Art Gallery of South Australia, welcomed the “transformative” investment to help make AGSA “the most inspiring art destination in Australia.
“Our vision of the gallery is that the gallery is known as much outside the state as it is inside the state,” Smith said.
Stay tuned for more analysis in InReview this week.
