A new multimillion-dollar body supporting Australians in the creative arts will be the centrepiece of an overhaul of the country’s cultural sector.
The federal government will on Monday outline its new national cultural policy, also known as Revive, which will be used as a $286 million blueprint for the arts in Australia for the next five years.
The policy will see the set up of a new arts investment and advisory body known as Creative Australia, with $200 million going towards the organisation over the next four years.
The body will be in charge of funding artistic projects across a range of mediums at arm’s length from the government.
As part of Creative Australia, dedicated bodies will oversee investments in the music industry, as well as helping Australian writers and illustrators.
A new First Nations-led body will also be set up as part of the new organisation, as well as setting up a centre for arts and entertainment workplaces that will oversee whether workers in the arts were being paid fairly and in workplaces free from discrimination.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the investments would help to reverse previous funding cuts in the sector.
“I am excited by the potential it will unleash and to see our extraordinary and diverse Australian stories continue to be told with originality, wit, creativity and flair,” he said.
“It builds on the proud legacies of earlier Labor governments that recognised the importance of art and culture to Australia’s identity, social unity and economic prosperity.”
As part of the policy, the Australia Council — which previously oversaw creative investments decisions — will become Creative Australia’s governing body.
The policy will also introduce legislation to protect Indigenous knowledge and cultural expression, such as cracking down on fake Aboriginal art, as well as set up a National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs and an Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Perth.
Quotas on Australian content on streaming services are also set to be on the agenda as part of the cultural policy.
While the exact quota number has yet to be set, discussions will take place between the government and streamers before legislation locking in a target is introduced to parliament later this year.
Arts Minister Tony Burke said the new strategy would help the creative sector bounce back following disruption caused by the pandemic.
“Under Revive, there will be a place for every story and a story for every place,” he said.
“It is a comprehensive road map for Australia’s arts and culture that touches all areas of government, from cultural diplomacy in foreign affairs to health and education,” he said.
-AAP
