Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Before I begin, I'd like to wish a happy International Women's Day not only to the women members in this House but also to the wonderful team in my office, who are all women. I wish them a very wonderful International Women's Day.

There are Paramount+ billboards out at the moment about the new series called Last King of the Cross. I can proudly say it features one of our own local creatives, Australian Asian female martial artist Maria Tran, who grew up in Cabramatta, in Fowler. Maria is passionate about stories and creatives in south-west and western Sydney. I have witnessed her career trajectory and passion for filmmaking over the years. She has worked on projects both in Australia and Asia and has helped many of our local aspiring filmmakers produce their own stories and showcase them locally and, at times, internationally. She has lamented to me over the years that those from south-west Sydney—our voice—and particularly those from non-English-speaking backgrounds barely get major investment or a look-in from cultural funding bodies. It is often people from outside who are funded to write our stories.

Khaled Sabsabi, an internationally renowned artist in Fowler and an Australian of Lebanese heritage, shared with me that he's more successful overseas than in Australia. Why is it that the Australian creative industry still struggles to fully reflect the rich cultural diversity of modern Australia? Artists such as Maria Tran, Khaled Sabsabi, Annette Shun-Wah or Diane Nguyen are some of our culturally diverse artists at the forefront of a wave of new artists from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds creating works which resonate not only with our communities but with people worldwide. For example, Dorr-e Dari from the Powerhouse Theatre in Fairfield is a Persian play, produced by Afghan refugees in my community. Hasiba, the leading female performer, fled Afghanistan during the fall of Kabul in 2021, not knowing if she could pursue her dream of being an actor ever again. It was heartwarming to hear, though, that she and the Dorr-e Dari ensemble performed at the prestigious Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Arts Centre last year.

One in 10 Australians live in Western Sydney. In my electorate of Fowler, almost 70 per cent of our population is born overseas or has a parent born overseas. Yet our region receives only one per cent of Commonwealth arts and culture funding, according to a study by Deloitte. There needs to be more representation on screen, behind the camera, in production and in artworks as well as appropriate funding for artists and creatives in Sydney's south-west. Last week I held an arts and culture forum in my office to discuss these very issues. It was incredibly insightful to hear from creatives from all backgrounds and practices share their experiences. I thank representatives from Curious Works, Co-Curious, Kimlligraphy, PYT Fairfield, Fairfield Museum and Gallery and artists Sheila Ngoc Pham, Khaled Sabsabi and Linda Brescia for their contributions. While they commended the government's plans to prioritise First Nations stories in the new policy, many of them also want further recognition for Australians with culturally and linguistically diverse stories which they believe are still not appropriately represented in the sector.

This has been my driving force: our culturally and diverse communities, migrants and refugees are still not represented widely in the creative sector, nor at leadership levels of mainstream institutions. Is it unconscious bias, lack of talent or lack of a talent pool? When I left my local journalism role at the Liverpool and Fairfield Champion newspapers decades ago, I took a leap of faith and began my journey in the ABC. I started out as a researcher for a current affairs program and was placed in a room with one other person who was of Indian heritage. I remember she turned to me and said, 'You know why you've been put in here, right?' And I looked at her and said, 'No.' She said, 'It's called the "dark room".' She wasn't referring to the lack of natural light. While I ended up having a very long and fulfilling career at the ABC surrounded by incredibly supportive peers, this initial interaction has stayed with me over the years. There may not be as direct discrimination present in these sectors today, but there are still many barriers of entry for those from Western Sydney, south-west Sydney and those from non-English-speaking backgrounds.

The conversations with some of the local artists highlighted to me that the very opposite is now happening. Instead of being shunned like I was, creative organisations and funding bodies are now using us as a measure that they have ticked the box for fulfilling a diversity requirement. One creative at my office forum told us that major organisations would reach out to her to help find workers from low socioeconomic and migrant backgrounds. She said it was actually more detrimental to recommend any POC, or people of colour, artists to certain organisations as it was very obvious they were not wanted for their ideas but for the colour of their skin and for the purpose of ticking off their CALD box. Often artists feel exploited after they have finished their contract. A local filmmaker and producer told us this is a very common occurrence. She said: 'They pair you up with some inner-city producer and give the lowest possible ranking on a film, just so you have zero control over your idea. But it works for them because they get credit for your work, while fulfilling their diversity quota.' It may be completely unintentional but unconscious bias is very insidious in many industries, and the arts is no different.

However, it's not just racial issues but issues of class and the tyranny of distance. In my consultation with my local artists, I was told there is a very distinct disadvantage to growing up and living in the west and south-west of Sydney. The stigma of being in the west is still pervasive into these creative spaces, where artists feel they're judged because of their postcode. PYT Fairfield Theatre Company, in my neighbouring electorate, is the only place in my community where aspiring CALD creatives get the opportunity to practise their craft and have some paid creative work. But PYT representatives have said their students are also working long hours as security guards, as hairdressers or stacking shelves at Woolies to make ends meet while they pursue their dreams. It is not a sustainable lifestyle if you have to pay for petrol, pay for long travels, pay for rent and pay to put food on the table for your family. They don't have the advantage of having wealthy parents who can bankroll their education and financially support them through unpaid internships, many of which are full-time and span across many months.

Furthermore, a career in art is built not only on the internships you do but also on the connections you make or already have. I was told that artists from more affluent suburbs would have gone to school or uni with people whose parents are connected to the influential producers, filmmakers or musicians, who can get them a foot in the door. My creatives lamented that the industry workers from Western Sydney, who often have migrant or refugee parents, have to work harder for recognition and rely on each other to get work. As a result, this negative experience leads to young emerging artists feeling demoralised and ultimately turns them off from pursuing a career in the long term. But we need artists and creatives from our community because their stories and their interpretations will help shape Australia's identity for the future. Therefore, I support the government's programs that will be implemented under the rebranding of the Australia Council to diversify an arts and culture scene that neglects to recognise and support our community.

Recognising the need for more CALD arts is a start but we also need to tackle the systematic issues. I call on the government not to forget south-west Sydney when it comes to allocating funding for arts and creatives. Do not follow the previous government's behaviour of investing just in marginal seats. In recent days I've heard the government attacking the opposition on this issue, so I challenge the government to fund a south-west Sydney arts precinct not just in Parramatta but in Fowler, so that creatives can thrive. They would no longer need to travel the long distance for work or internships while also doing what they're passionate about. This will hopefully see less exploitation of CALD workers, as they will have their own community support and have agency over their own stories and ideas. I acknowledge the government's work in implementing recommendations of the Jenkins review within the arts sector, and that the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces will be established to provide a platform for creatives to learn more about pay, welfare and safety.

Representatives from CuriousWorks based in Liverpool have told me their social enterprise program helps emerging artists avoid exploitation by bigger organisations. They assist them in negotiating rates of pay, and educate emerging artists and industry workers on how to properly value their worth. It's fantastic to see creatives supporting each other. However, this needs to come from the top down, not the other way around. The government must ensure these reforms genuinely support grassroots art and culture, not just help fund the administrations. Our local artists say that perhaps the money spent on the rebranding could be used to tackle systematic issues first. Artists must feel supported in their projects at this very base level. The money could also be spent to support artists to grow themselves internationally. After all, they are understandably wary about whether these new changes will really improve the Australian arts and culture scene, and believe that success comes from going abroad. It just shows that, in order to retain our talent, we need to make them feel valued and supported in their careers here in Australia, otherwise we risk losing them to other countries.

The government has promised a multicultural review into ensuring our arts institutions are reflective of modern Australia. Annabel Davis, CEO of Co-Curious, in Liverpool, told us that it's exciting there is more appetite to create a more diverse art sector overall. However, she says, some expertise is required around how to properly implement these changes and to ensure those who aren't always able to enjoy a platform are given an opportunity to speak up and give a voice to the experience of multicultural Australia. There must also be tangible real support for creatives from multicultural and marginalised communities, given the myriad issues our artists also face in the sector. If we want our arts and culture sector to be truly reflective of modern Australia, then we need to make sure that everyone from the top down also reflects that. And when I say 'top down', I mean not just the boards and committees that dole out the grants funding but also the major employers of the arts and culture sector.

I must say that the mere debate about whether SBS should move to Western Sydney is incredibly disappointing. This should not even be a question. SBS services many of my constituents who rely on non-English-speaking programs for news and community updates, and it's where many Western Sydney creators cut their teeth in the industry. However, during peak-hour traffic, it could take up to an hour and a half one way for us 'westies' to get there. How can our multicultural broadcaster reside so far away from our country's multicultural heartland? SBS's move to the west will incentivise many young local aspiring journalists, producers and creatives to stay in the sector while also boosting the local economy.

We have a wealth of creative and cultural knowledge right here in south-west Sydney and, in particular, in Fowler. Engaging marginalised communities will help revive our arts and culture sector by inviting new ideas, eye-opening stories and brave projects that will inspire the next generation of our artists. Our creatives will feel supported in their endeavours and not just used as another diversity token. They will feel empowered to share their stories on the screen, in art and in music. Then our children—the children of refugees and migrants—can confidently contribute to creating an arts culture that truly reflects our country's diverse heritage. Those who are simply consumers of the arts deserve to be seen and represented in the films they watch, the gigs they go to and the art galleries they visit. Let's shine a light on the arts and the creatives in Fowler and greater south-west Sydney.

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