Amazing News! Federal Inquiry reports: ‘Sculpting a National Cultural Plan’ – Members Bulletin

Dear TNA Members,

We are very happy to share with you the Report from the Federal Inquiry into Australia’s creative and cultural industries and institutions, which recommends the development of a national cultural plan. As you may remember, the House of Reps Inquiry was called by Minister Fletcher in August 2020, with submissions and hearings throughout 2020 and the beginning of 2021. Download the Report.

‘Sculpting a National Cultural Plan | Igniting a post-COVID economy for the arts’, was tabled Wednesday 27 October, 2021. Recommendation 1 is:

The Committee recommends that, noting the significant short and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency on the arts sector, the Commonwealth Government develop a national cultural plan to assess the medium and long term needs of the sector (p. xiii). 

We are particularly pleased that the report demonstrates a bi-partisan valuing of the arts, and bi-partisan support for a national cultural plan. The Committee includes Liberal, National and Labor members, and although there are additional comments from the Labor members, there is no dissenting report. It is a historic moment to have such bi-partisan commitment. 

We are also pleased that, although the report does not have detail on how a national cultural plan will be developed, it includes various recommendations from submissions that include the vital role that the Australia Council for the Arts should play, including TNA’s own recommendation: 

Theatre Network Australia (TNA) drew attention to the ‘existing infrastructure and comprehensive industry networks’ which the Australia Council for the Arts already supports, and suggested that:

Council’s strengthened research team, its transparent, arms-length peer assessment processes, and its cooperative working relationship with the Office for the Arts puts it in pole position to drive the development and delivery of the National Arts and Culture Plan (p. 5). 

The work from here is: to advocate for the Government and the Opposition to commit to the development and resourcing of a national cultural plan in their election campaigns, as we head to an election before May 2022; to share stories and ideas for how the arts can help build back better after COVID-19; and to support the Australia Council for the Arts as a key driver for the development and implementation of the plan. 

We would like to thank the following people and organisations who helped make this happen:

TNA members who made a submission or spoke at a hearing, our colleagues at A New Approach for the excellent evidence to back the idea of an arts and culture plan, our colleagues from other peak bodies who we worked alongside to keep the call for a plan high on the agenda, the Australia Council for the Arts for their strong submission and evidence, and all of the artists and workers who did their bit to show the impact of COVID and the need for ongoing strategic support for the arts. 

As always, be in contact with us if you have any questions or thoughts.