Trade Minister Mark Vaile made it clear this morning that he is willing to put the future of Australia’s cultural industries in the hands of the United States through the AUSFTA. The concessions flagged by the Howard Government regarding new media and new types of digital media represent the surrendering of future Australian local content [...]
ausfta
National Museum chases funds to politicise exhibitions
The latest chapter in the politicisation of the National Museum by the Howard Government has unfolded, with an extra $45 million sought to rebuild the under-funded museum according to Howard’s white-washed view of Australian cultural history. Given the Museum was deliberately starved of funds by the Howard Government, it is offensive that the Museum Board [...]
Regional access to the arts decimated
The Howard Government is responsible for hundreds of thousands of regional people having their access to the arts decimated. As a result of the latest round of Playing Australia Grants, only 13 funding applications for shows to tour to all areas in Australia were funded, as opposed to 26 in the same round last year. [...]
Alston’s final gift: more lip service
After seven years, Richard Alston has used his last day as Minister for the Arts to once again pay lip service to the Howard Government’s plans to introduce new legislation for a Resale Royalty scheme; a commitment Labor has already made to the visual arts sector. The Australian Arts community and Indigenous Arts groups [...]
Emerging Indigenous artists must be protected
Labor welcomes the announcement of long awaited support for indigenous art centres, providing that the proposed performance based funding scheme does not negatively impact upon emerging indigenous artists and their communities. It is also disappointing that the Howard Government has not endorsed a key Myer Report recommendation: the introduction of Resale Royalties for Artists. A [...]
Art exhibition: From the sublime to the digital
Senator Kate Lundy will open From the sublime to the digital the new work by Lelde Vitols and baskets by Yolngu women artists from Elcho Island Saturday 27 September 2003 3.00pm ANCA Gallery 1 Rosevear Place Dickson, Canberra, ACT Media contact: Adina Cirson 0418 488 295 or 02 6277 3334
Another nail in Tuckey’s coffin: ‘Fan’ referred to Cabinet
The decision to refer to Cabinet the proposal to build the controversial ‘Fan’ sculpture today shows that the Howard Government has lost confidence in the Minister for Territories, Wilson Tuckey. The decision follows a ‘please explain’ letter to the National Capital Authority (NCA) about the lack of consultation on the sculpture from the Joint Standing [...]
Gutless Tuckey, Vanstone use artists as scapegoats to scrap controversial ‘Red Fan’
Senator Vanstone’s attempt to use the artists as scapegoats is a disgrace when clearly the Howard Government is in damage control over the controversial ‘Red Fan’ proposal. Earlier today the word was that Cabinet was going to veto the proposal. However when Senator Vanstone’s statement came out late Monday night it exposed a shallow and [...]
Labor announces resale rights for artists
Senator Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister for the Arts & Bob McMullan MP, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs Labor announces resale rights for artists The Labor party yesterday committed itself to implementing the visual arts community’s top priority – a Resale Royalty Scheme. A Private Member’s Bill is currently being drafted to implement these measures which [...]
Staff pay the price for Opera Australia woes
The loss of eleven jobs at Opera Australia, including that of Russell Mitchell, the business affairs director, raises serious concerns about the continuing mismanagement of the company. The retrenchments come after reported operating deficits and a decrease in the number of productions to be staged in Melbourne and Sydney, resulting in job losses in the [...]
