Media Release: A vision for arts and culture?
NAVA releases Report Card for Tasmanian state election.
Today the National Association for the Visual Arts released its Report Card for the Tasmanian state election.
The Report Card has been compiled using publicly available campaign information and election commitments made to date by the Tasmanian Liberals, Tasmanian Labor and Tasmanian Greens parties.
NAVA Board Member and Chair of Design Tasmania, Dr Pippa Dickson, attended today's arts and culture platform debate between the Hon Elise Archer, MHA, Minster for the Arts; Cassy O'Connor MHA, Leader of the Tasmanian Greens; and Tim Cox, Tasmanian Labor candidate for Denison.
"Tasmanians really want the arts to be taken seriously and truly valued," said Dr Dickson. "People want change: they want more investment in artists and the creation of new work, they want artists to be paid fairly, and they want to see jobs created for artists. It's all about the artists. We need to see this deep understanding in each platform.
"Today's debate was well attended. A full house at the Peacock Theatre shows how strongly people care. There is no apathy in Tasmania around arts and culture but disappointment that not enough is being done to support individuals and S2M organisations. Funding is required to build and reinforce the arts and creative state that we are known to be nationally and internationally. The Labor policy comes some way to supporting artists, the Liberal platform supports the big end of town, the Greens are acknowledging the importance of investment in regional areas - but these agendas should just be the start."
Each major party has made commitments to the arts, with a strong focus on the screen industry and public art. There are also commitments to support artist, market and industry development, as well as commitments on broader cultural issues.
In considering those broader issues, the NAVA Report Card has included the major parties' commitments around poker machines, given their presence in cultural, performing arts and recreational venues.
"A state's arts policy and commitments express its vision for a confident, creative and resilient culture," said Esther Anatolitis, Executive Director. "The NAVA Report Card offers a snapshot of policy highlights and election commitments made during the campaign period. Where the Report Card shows a blank space, we welcome party representatives to make public statements on their commitments, or contact NAVA directly."
Tasmanians go to the polls this Saturday 3 March.
ENDS
Media enquiries:
Esther Anatolitis
Executive Director
1800 046 282
Election Report Card: Tasmania
Tasmania votes on 3 March 2018. What arts and culture vision do the major parties offer?
| TASMANIAN GREENS | TASMANIAN LABOR | TASMANIAN LIBERAL | |
| First Nations | ✓ Formalise treaty, self-determination | ✓Recognise right to self-determination | |
| Artist development | ✓ Audit wilderness structures to test viability of extending artist in residence program | ✓ $100k development service to support artists in delivering greater outcomes for the community | |
| Market development | ✓ Permanently relocate MONA FOMA to Launceston | ✓ $240k/3yrs for Sydney and Melbourne art fair representation | |
| Industry development | ✓ A new public art policy incl. 1% for art scheme for all new infrastructure developments worth over $1.8m
✓ $50k public art commission ✓ $250k public art 50% reimbursement trial for private sector, up to $7,500 per work | ✓ $1.3m for Screen Tasmania grants and investment ($500k increase)
✓ Restore film festival funds to fill Events Tasmania gap ✓ Dollar-match local government public art to $20k limit ✓ Retain Wide Angle film fund at $100k | ✓ $2m Screen Innovation Fund
✓ $1m for permanent TMAG children’s exhibition ✓ Peer governance via Ministerial Arts & Cultural Advisory Council (replaced the Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board) |
| Intellectual property and procurement | ✓ Government images promoting natural beauty to come from local artists | ||
| Education | ✓ $80k art supplies fund for teachers: $800 per project | ||
| Investment | ✓ $500k increase to S2M regional orgs
✓ $5m regional arts infrastructure fund | ✓ $1m increase in individual grants incl. Artsbridge and touring | ✓ Dollar-matched donations to TMAG and QVMAG |
| Tasmanian culture | ✓ Work towards pokie elimination
✓ Regional arts infrastructure audit | ✓ Phase out pokies in pubs/clubs by 2023
✓ Promote culturally diverse education, festivals and events | ✗ Double the Community Support Levy to address harm from pokies |
Authorised by Esther Anatolitis for the National Association for the Visual Arts. Compiled from publicly available election campaign materials. Not reflective of election commitments made in the final campaign days.
