Victorian cultural policy: a brief over-view

Victorian cultural policy:a brief over-view

Ben Eltham

Centre for Policy Development;

Centre for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney

Arts Centre

Watching TV

Watching TV is still Victorians’ most common cultural activity.

In 2006:

• 87 per cent of Australians watched or listened to TV daily• we watched an average of just under 3 hours a day each

(Source: ABS)

9.3

9.9

16.7

17.9

18.4

20.9

23.6

23.9

33.2

36.7

37.0

67.1

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Classical music concerts

Dance performances

Other performing arts

Theatre performances

Musicals and operas

Museums

Popular music concerts

Art galleries

Libraries

Botanic gardens

Zoological parks and aquariums

Cinemas

Attendance at cultural events, Victoria 2005-06 (ABS)

Queue for cinema

Hamer Hall

9% cultural attendance; $128 million redevelopment

24% of cultural attendance;$2.2 million since 2007

Policy Framework

Stated policy goals

• Arts for all Victorians: a culture of participation (social development goal)

• On the threshold: an economy based on innovation (economic development goal)

• Creative place: a dynamic arts sector (cultural development goal)

2009-10 cultural expenditure*: $454.5 million

Employees 4%

Supplies and services

3%Cap Ex

3%

Depreciation3%

Grants87%

Source: 2010 DPC Annual Report;

2010 DIIRD Annual Report

* includesFilm Victoria

Where do the grant dollars go?

Project grants 1%

Organisations 8%

Services and Policy 1%

Venues 23%

Agencies 67%

Source: 2009 DPC Annual Report

2010 Budget Papers

The big cultural institutions:

• National Gallery of Victoria• Australian Centre for the Moving Image• Museum Victoria• Melbourne Recital Centre• Geelong Performing Arts Centre• State Library• The Arts Centre• Public Record Office• Film Victoria now lives over in DIIRD

Less than 1% of Arts Victoria’s budget goes to grants to artists to make work

Cultural employment in Victoria, 2006

Culture is bigger than the arts: design

Cultural policy is bigger than the arts: screen

Cultural policy is bigger than the arts: liquor licensing

Cultural policy is bigger than the arts: the internet

Policy challenges

• Addressing culture in the wider sense, not just capital-A “arts”

• Technology is changing culture

• Whole-of-government approach

• Regulation as well as funding

• Starving artists or iconic institutions?

More Than Luck

Ben Eltham0422 987 538

ben.eltham@gmail.com