Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Boothby for moving this motion. The arts are vital not only to our nation's culture but also as a mechanism through which we express ourselves and understand ourselves as a people. I said in my first speech that while a work of art may not save your life in the way that good health care can, and while it may not make your trip to work any quicker or easier than a good road system can, we need the arts to challenge us and to help us to look at the world in different ways. More broadly than that, the arts in their many varied forms have also reminded us over the past few months of their enduring ability to entertain, provide comfort and stimulate our minds, and, in the absence of live performances, concerts and exhibitions, of just how much they truly contribute to the vibrancy of our communities.

In Western Australia, the creative industries employ approximately 53,000 people and contribute an estimated $3.3 billion industry value-add to the WA economy. In my electorate of Curtin, 93 per cent of people in our community attend cultural venues or events. Data from 2017 to 2018 showed that 80 per cent go to the movies, 73 per cent engage with the performing arts, 55 per cent engage with live music and 45 per cent visit art galleries. Forty-one one per cent of people in my electorate are themselves involved in creative activities, such as performing, singing, dancing or playing a musical instrument.

We are of course spoilt for choice when it comes to arts events in Curtin. The Perth International Arts Festival is the oldest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere, having grown out of the University of Western Australia's annual summer school entertainment in the early 1950s. The festival, which runs over February and March each year, plays an important role in not only attracting great international acts to WA but also telling local stories. Two highlights of the festival this year included the premiere season of Yirra Yaakin Theatre's Hecate, the story of Macbeth performed entirely in the Noongar language, and of course the Highway to Hell event, which saw 150,000 Western Australians turn out in force in celebration of AC/DC and Bon Scott. My hopes remain high for a future Locomotion event of similar scale, to celebrate Kylie Minogue!

Now in its 16th year, the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition is another incredible event that takes place in Curtin, at Cottesloe Beach. It is estimated that in 2019 the event contributed $6.8 million in direct interstate and international spending and attracted over 210,000 visitors, including 3,500 people from interstate and overseas. Despite having to finish early this year due to COVID-19, it was still a great drawcard, showcasing amazing work by established and emerging artists from all over the world. Of note was the SS Endless Summer, by local artists Ellen Broadhurst, Tom Rogers and Jaxon Waterhouse, which used over 5,000 empty Masters milk cartons and was inspired by the container ships that dot the horizon of the Indian Ocean.

Finally I want to highlight the University Dramatic Society, known as UDS, a student-run society at the University of Western Australia. For over 100 years, UDS has been entertaining the public and providing opportunities for young people to pursue creative outlets and shine on stage. I am reliably informed by my dad that the society's best show was the 1956 performance of Romeo and Juliet, in which my dad played Romeo and my mum played Juliet's mum. While the ending in real life was slightly different from that proposed by Shakespeare, I posit that it was certainly a happier ending.

It is imperative that we all continue, where possible, to support our local artists and arts organisations. There is no doubt that COVID-19 has hit them very hard. I know my sister has had her work impacted. But, with true spirit, the artists have found new ways of bringing art to all of us, and the government in turn is making a significant investment in our arts and, importantly, is working with the arts industry through the newly established Creative Economy Taskforce, chaired by the former chair of the Perth International Arts Festival Mr John Barrington AM, to ensure that the support goes where it is needed and that our creative industries and our artists stay alive and flourishing.

See this speech in context