There are several areas of the Federal Government’s 2009 budget which assist the visual arts sector. NAVA warmly welcomes all the new funding allocations and thanks Arts Minister Peter Garrett for his continuing support.
ArtStart
Honouring an election pledge, the Government has allocated $9.6 million to the new ArtStart program to support young and emerging artists in all art forms. The funds will be devolved to the Australia Council to manage a program offering competitive one off grants of up to $10,000 to help graduates start a business as a professional artist. This will probably help on average around 40 visual artists per year.
This funding is additional to the $6.6 million over 4 years allocated in the 2008 Budget for the Young and Emerging Artists Program, also managed by the Australia Council.
Indigenous Arts
The Indigenous Art and Craft Centres in remote communities have scored again. New funding of $9.3 million over 4 years has been allocated for improving staffing salaries and training to build the capacity of the centres and to support Indigenous employment. This is in addition to the nearly $8 million pledged in March from the Aboriginals Benefits Account which holds royalties funds contributed from mining operations on Aboriginal land. Through the National Arts and Craft Industry Support (NACIS) program, the new funding will be invested in programs which support professional art practice, community arts activities and business management.
Out of these new funds, $600,000 over 3 years will be allocated for the implementation of the Indigenous Australia Art Commercial Code of Conduct, for which NAVA did the initial research and development. Currently the Australia Council is consulting on a draft code which sets minimum standards for dealers, agents and artists and is consistent with ACCC best practice principles for voluntary codes. It is expected that the code will be rolled out later in 2009.
Capital Works
Funding of $15 million has been promised for the National Gallery of Australia and an exciting $48 million to assist the College of Fine Art, University of NSW to undertake a major building program to transform its campus in Paddington in Sydney.
To read the Arts Minister's Media Release click here
