Live Sector Disappointed After Australian Budget

The budget was delivered in Canberra May 3. Live Performance Australia chief executive Evelyn Richardson said, “This Budget is supposed to be focused on jobs and growth. But the live performance industry and the broader arts industry are completely missing from the Government’s vision for the Australian economy. This Budget fails to deliver jobs and growth for our industry. It fails to deliver any major new policy initiatives or programs.”

Richardson also called for the government to restore A$72.8 million ($54.6 million) of funding over four years that it took from the arts and music sector’s funding company the Australia Council last year. It expects that when the Council announces its funding recipients in the week ending May 14, 40 percent of small to medium companies will miss out and face closure. The fallout would affect venues, festivals, promoters, workers and suppliers as well as force talent offshore, she said.

In late April the government had through a new funding initiative called Catalyst given A$45,925 ($34,472) to West Australia’s peak music association, WAM, to use on international exchange music programs.

But the LPA says this hardly helps the live performance industry, which employs 34,000, supports 500 performing arts companies and draws 18 million patrons each year to shows.

“LPA is calling on all political parties to step up and support new investment in companies and jobs for our $2.5 billion ($1.87 billion) industry,” Richardson stated.