Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Government has launched Revive: A Place for Every Story, A Story for Every Place (Revive), Australia's new National Cultural Policy that will set the course for Australia's arts, entertainment and cultural sector for the next five years;

(b) Revive comes after a decade of wilful neglect and funding cuts for the arts and entertainment sector;

(c) Revive is built on five pillars and puts First Nations first—recognising and respecting the crucial place of these stories at the heart of our arts and culture; and

(d) in implementing Revive, the Government will:

(i) reverse the former Government's cuts to the Australia Council for the Arts;

(ii) establish Creative Australia and create four new bodies: Music Australia, Writers Australia, First Nations First body and a Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces;

(iii) almost double the Regional Arts Fund;

(iv) introduce quotas for Australian content on digital streaming platforms; and

(v) legislate to ban fake First Nations' art; and

(2) acknowledges Revive will bring drive, direction, and vision back to the $17 billion arts industry which employs an estimated 400,000 Australians.

Australia is emerging from a dark period for the arts. For two years, the pandemic separated audiences from the creative experiences that are so connected to our wellbeing, our connection to each other and our understanding of ourselves. Theatres and galleries fell silent, choirs couldn't sing, kids couldn't dance, school plays were banned and festivals were cancelled. But we gobbled up film and TV, put art on our walls and read to get us through. That difficult period reminded Australians how much art of all types matters to our lives.

The cultural sector faced this storm in a more vulnerable position than it should have been in. The arts community had suffered from a decade of funding cuts. The infamous Brandis cuts devastated the small to medium arts sector. These small organisations are essential to the arts ecosystem, but they were abandoned by the previous government. Many organisations simply didn't survive. The previous government could never quite acknowledge that arts jobs are real jobs. When COVID hit, the government had to be dragged to support artists when they so desperately needed help. The Liberals' belated response, the RISE Fund, had no vision or strategy.

The Albanese government takes a very different approach. We've listened to the arts community. The Minister for the Arts and I, alongside the Office for the Arts, have travelled the country, holding 14 roundtable meetings to listen to ideas, concerns, insights and aspirations. We received more than 1,200 submissions and had countless one-on-one conversations.

Our new National Cultural Policy, Revive, is based on the knowledge and expertise of people from right across the nation. Revive turns the page. This government will respect, support and uplift the horizons of the arts community. Unlike the previous government, we believe that artists, not politicians, should make decisions about artistic merit. That's why we're investing in the agency that makes funding decisions at arm's length from government. We're reversing the brutal Brandis cuts and providing $199 million to the Australia Council. This means more support across all art forms, including to underfunded areas like youth arts, small to medium organisations and independent artists.

The Australia Council will be strengthened, modernised and given an expanded mandate. Its transformation into Creative Australia will be the most significant reform in its history. It'll have four new bodies. One will be the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces, which will provide advice on issues of pay, safety and welfare in the arts and entertainment sectors. It'll refer matters of workplace concern to relevant authorities and develop codes of conduct. It will address issues raised in the Raising their voices report, which detailed shocking levels of harassment, sexism and prejudice in arts workplaces. Another body, Music Australia, will support the music industry to grow through strategic initiatives, industry partnerships, research, skills development and export promotion. We'll have a First Nations body to give First Nations people autonomy over arts decisions and investments. Writers Australia will provide direct support to the literature sector for writers and publishers to grow local and international audiences for Australian books.

They are all significant steps forward, but, on top of this, we'll introduce quotas for Australian content for digital streaming platforms. We'll almost double investment in the Regional Arts Fund. We'll develop an arts and disability plan to enable people with disability to access and participate fully in the cultural and creative life of our nation. We'll provide $12 million to support digital games developers and independent games studios. We'll legislate to ban fake First Nations art and provide $3.8 million to digitise at-risk First Nations cultural material so it's preserved for future generations.

We'll introduce digital lending rights for writers and establish the role of poet laureate for Australia. We'll share the works of the National Gallery collection with regional and suburban galleries—and I know, having been in country New South Wales in the last few days, that conversations about that are already starting. We'll establish artist residencies to visit Australian World Heritage sites to produce artworks and tell stories of place and heritage.

So how are arts workers feeling? As one said, 'I didn't realise how demoralising it had been until this light came through.'

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sea Country, a children's book written by Aunty Patsy Cameron, with beautiful collages and illustrations by Lisa Kennedy, begins:

My people are proud, strong people. We are the descendants of Mannalargenna of the Pairrebeenne/Trawlwoolway clan. We grew up on Flinders Island in eastern Bass Strait. The bush and the beach were our playground … We were free to hear Country speaking to us.

Sea Country weaves a cultural homage to life on Flinders Island, with stories of collecting, fishing in wooden dinghies with long oars and watching clouds snake their way down Mount Munro. When the book was launched, Aunty Patsy said:

I think it's really important to tell these stories for children to understand Aboriginal heritage and how Aboriginal people relate to the land, and how as a young person I related to the country, to the land and the seas and the skies.

In the northern region of lutruwita, the First Nations connection to kanamaluka, our local estuary, has been explored at the newly built University of Tasmania Library at Inveresk, which I opened last year. Launceston-born and -raised Aboriginal artist Caleb Mansell was commissioned to design feature carpets for the building's interior. A proud and deep connection to country and culture drove the inspiration for the final pieces, which can be seen across the three levels of the new library. The pieces are titled Wetlands;kanamalukaI,II and III; and Flats. Their colours and patterns represent themes and features connected to the nearby waterway. Caleb said:

Growing up in Launceston, I spent a lot of time exploring and connecting to Country. There was always something mystical about this water that drew me in, it was like an energy. It was important that I brought kanamaluka from outside into the campus and told the story of how it supported our old people and still connects and supports our community today.

It is critical that we ensure that the culture and historical significance of our First Nations people, like Aunty Patsy and Caleb, is heard through art. I welcome one of the key pillars of this new cultural policy, Revive, which has a focus on recognising and representing the crucial place of First Nations stories at the heart of our arts and culture and, importantly, legislating to ban fake First Nations art.

I've spoken in parliament on numerous occasions about how the arts sector in Northern Tasmania is incredibly strong, despite our relatively small population. This coming Friday will see the launch of the biennial Ten Days on the Island festival, which will present a number of exhibitions, performances and community events across the island. This comes off the back of another successful Mona Foma. Next week, the award-winning Encore Theatre Company will hold their opening night of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which I can't wait to see. It will have a three-week run before they head into rehearsals for The Boy from Oz in October. Of course, later this year Junction Arts Festival will be back—no doubt bigger and better than ever—while, across the region, smaller cultural, writing and poetry festivals and events are held throughout the year, giving dancers, actors, singers, writers, photographers, painters and creators a platform for their work to be performed or displayed.

Over the past decade, a significant number of organisations and individual artists in my electorate of Bass have been supported through coalition funding to bring their creative pursuits to life. When the pandemic was in its height and Tasmanian borders remained shut, I saw firsthand, from my continuing engagement with the local arts community, how the RISE fund gave local performers, pubs, theatre groups and art galleries a chance to get back on their feet and survive at a time when the industry had come to a complete standstill. Given where we were just a few years ago, I am absolutely full of pride when I look at the calendar of arts events in the year ahead and see how our local arts industry is thriving, assisted largely by the community, who have come out in droves to support local shows and artists.

Art in all its forms is a reflection on our society and its culture. It is a source of inspiration and connection for our communities. I'm proud of the creative output that continues to grow in my electorate of Bass and want to thank all artists who contribute to our local arts scene. I'm hopeful that the establishment of Creative Australia and four new bodies within it—Music Australia, Writers Australia, a First Nations led body and a Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces—will amplify opportunities for local artists in my region.

Peta Murphy (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The new National Cultural Policy presents a much-needed boost to our arts industry. It promises a revival to the community of creative Australians and brings with it, for the first time in a very long time, government direction. This cultural policy is the third of its kind, following Paul Keating's Creative Nation and Julia Gillard's Creative Australia. It's a proud Labor legacy, and I'm proud to be of a government that is continuing it.

We have an amazing arts sector in Dunkley. For example, last Saturday night it was on display in a magical way. The fourth Stellar Short Film Festival was held at McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery. You couldn't find a more beautiful venue—outside amongst the sculptures, the gum trees and the stars and with local food vans and refreshments. That spirited lot gets a big shout-out; it was just amazing. It's one of those events where, after you've been once, you can't stop coming back. It's everything that is great, innovative and inspiring about Australian cinematic culture. It's one of a kind in our country, and it's run by, created by and is the heart and soul of Dunkley locals. There were about a thousand people there on Saturday night, enjoying film and, as I said, food and beverages from locals. Many people went with their family and friends, and we had artists from all the sectors that are involved in making film from around the country.

Twelve of the best award-winning Australian films from 2020 to 2022 were showcased and competed for prizes from a panel of film judges. They were so impressive: Michael Caton, known for The Castle and much more; Scott Major, who you'll remember from Heartbreak High; Natalie Erika James, from Relic; Bradley Slabe, from Lost & Found; and Tilda Cobham-Hervey, from Hotel Mumbai. They were all enjoying everything that Langwarrin had to offer at McClelland Sculpture Park. Filmmakers and actors flew in from around the country.

I want to make special mention of one of the films from the night. Tarneit, directed by John Sheedy, won an award on Saturday night. I have to say—sorry, everyone else—it was my favourite. It's a beautiful film which tells the story of Tyrone and Clinton living in Tarneit, in Melbourne. They are deeply bonded, teenage young men. They were deeply bonded partly because they were both deaf, partly through a shared sense of neglect and the hardships of life and mostly because they shared a dream of one day escaping that harsh violence that swirled around them. The film was particularly special as the actors are deaf, and we were able to, with the organisers of Stellar, make sure they could attend the event, receive awards on the film's behalf on the night and be genuinely and absolutely included because the organisers of Stellar arranged for Auslan interpreters—I must say, at significant expense—to be there to make sure that the brilliant young actors could be part of this event in a full and heartfelt way.

We know how important the arts sector is in my community. Frankston, Mount Eliza and the surrounds are full of visual artists, museums, writers, content creators and more. I've spoken of many of them over the last four years in this parliament. These are people who went out of their way to contribute, prior to the last election, to shaping our national arts policy, being part of a forum online with the arts minister, the then shadow minister, to share their experiences, their ideas and their encouragement to move forward with a comprehensive policy. Now that we've launched Revive, the cultural policy my community were looking for, I'm very excited that in a few weeks the now arts minister is coming back to Dunkley to catch up again with many of these local voices, to talk about where to from here.

In my last five seconds, I want to give a big shout-out to the upcoming Big Picture Fest hosted by Frankston City Council and congratulate them. It will be something to be seen and not to be missed.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.