WINNERS AND LOSERS
Theatre companies are amongst the 62 organisations to be defunded by The Australia Council in latest four year key organisation funding round.
The Red Stitch Theatre Company in Melbourne, the Lismore based NORPA and Adelaide’s Slingsby theatre company were unsuccessful in their grant bids.
All three companies have produced critically acclaimed new Australian work in recent years.
Stage Whispers' Peter Pinne described NORPA’s Railway Wonderland as the best site specific theatre he had ever seen. Picture, above, by Grant MacIntyre.
http://www.stagewhispers.com.
Red Stitch Theatre’s 2016 season included eight Australian premieres.
http://www.stagewhispers.com.
The reduction in funding to small and medium theatres was prompted by the Federal Governments budget cuts in 2015 and a new grants model.
Others to lose all Federal Funding include Sydney-based dance group Force Majeure, Adelaide's Slingsby Theatre, the Canberra Contemporary Artspace, Melbourne’s Red Stitch Actors' Theatre, Phillip Adams Ballet Lab and Theatre Works.
“Australian theatre audiences, performers and stage crews are facing a bleak future as the Federal Government’s drastic arts funding cuts start to bite,” says the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance. “Following the loss of $60 million from its budget, the Australia Council has been forced to defund dozens of small to medium theatre companies, leaving many without funding or facing reduced budgets.”
“According to some reports, more than one third of the 147 organisations who previously received organisational funding now have no operational funding from the Federal Government,” the MEAA statement continued.
MEAA CEO Paul Murphy said many of the small to medium companies who lost their funding this week play a crucial role in nurturing and developing local talent.
“The impact of these cuts will be felt by our performers, crew and other creatives for many years to come,” said Murphy.
“This is exactly the dire outcome we warned about when the cuts to the Australia Council were announced in the 2015 federal Budget.”
Australian Major Performing Arts Group (AMPAG) acknowledges Federal Funding come as a welcome relief, “We recognise many esteemed arts organisations are Catalyst recipients and/or have gained Australia Council multi-year funding and we congratulate their individual success. However arts sector is highly interconnected and the outcomes for individual organisations will have an impact across the entire sector.
“Funding has come at the 11thhour and there is painfully little co-ordinated Government analysis on the impact of decision on the artistic vibrancy and sustainability for the Arts in Australia as a result. Today’s announcement confirms that respected organisations responsible for significant new works, valued collaborations with major performing arts companies and festivals, providing professional employment opportunities and developers of creative talent with proven track records here and overseas now face extremely uncertain futures.
“The Australia Council, recognising the importance of multi-year operational funding, to their credit, has allocated addition funds in this round, however given they are operating with an overall lower budget than previous years the next question is – What other initiatives have been reduced to accommodate this?”
In a statement co-signed by the member companies of the Confederation of Australian State Theatre Companies, CAST called on the Federal government to “formally review its budget cuts to the Australia Council after today’s announcement that 62 arts organisations will be defunded after failing to secure key organisation core funding.”
“These cuts have an impact just as dramatic and negative as the arts industry has feared and will cause irreparable damage across the sector – one that contributes over $4.2 billion to GDP in Australia,” the CAST Executive Council said.
“Small to medium companies are the lifeblood of the theatre sector across Australia and where some of the most innovative new Australian work is generated and presented. They also punch well above their weight in terms of both national and international touring and play a vital role in developing artists and practitioners nationally, including five of the current artistic directors of CAST companies who were significantly supported by the small to medium sector before taking on executive roles at major performing arts organisations.
“Likewise, many acclaimed and award-winning co-productions in recent CAST company seasons would not have been possible without collaboration with small to medium organisations. These organisations include Arena Theatre, Barking Gecko, Brink Productions, Chunky Move, Circa, Force Majeure, Griffin, Hothouse Theatre, Ilbijerri, LaBoite, Performing Lines, Playwriting Australia, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, The Blue Room Theatre, Windmill Theatre and Yirra Yaakin.”
“It is virtually certain that a number of the key organisations defunded today won’t survive. While CAST acknowledges that the government’s new Catalyst program might provide funding for some projects that may have previously been supported by the Australia Council, project funding is of little use to a company that has no operational support to exist in the first place,” the CAST Executive Council said.
43 new organisations are receiving multi-year core program funding for the first time.
They include New Musicals Australia – operating out of the Hayes Theatre – which will receive $180,000 per annum
Some Key points:
• The average Four Year Funding level is $219,000, compared with $157,000 under the previous programs.
• More than 80% of the successful applicants have a focus on creating new work over the next four years.
• Two thirds of the successful applicants identified international activity as a priority.
• More than half the organisations plan to tour as part of their program.
• 10 theatre companies making work by, with, and for young people, have been successful.
|
Organisation Name |
State/territory |
Amount Funded per annum |
Arts Practice |
|
Art Gallery of South Australia |
SA |
$200,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Art Monthly Australia |
ACT |
$91,144 |
Visual Arts |
|
Artback NT Arts Development and Touring Inc |
NT |
$300,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Artlink Australia |
SA |
$80,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Arts Access Australia Limited |
TAS |
$225,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Arts Access Society Inc |
VIC |
$270,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Arts Law Centre of Australia |
NSW |
$244,320 |
* |
|
Artspace Visual Arts Centre Ltd |
NSW |
$239,200 |
Visual Arts |
|
Asian Australian Artists Association Inc |
NSW |
$85,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Association of Northern Kimberley & Arnhem Aboriginal Artists |
NT |
$215,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (APRA) for Sounds Australia |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Music |
|
Australian Art Orchestra Ltd |
VIC |
$292,000 |
Music |
|
Australian Book Review Inc |
VIC |
$140,000 |
Literature |
|
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art |
VIC |
$264,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Australian Copyright Council |
NSW |
$261,628 |
* |
|
Australian Dance Theatre |
SA |
$300,000 |
Dance |
|
Australian Music Centre Ltd |
NSW |
$280,000 |
Music |
|
Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT) |
SA |
$300,000 |
Emerging and Experimental Arts |
|
Australian Script Centre |
TAS |
$208,000 |
Theatre |
|
Australian String Quartet Inc |
SA |
$250,000 |
Music |
|
Australian Theatre for Young People |
NSW |
$275,000 |
Theatre |
|
Back to Back Theatre Inc |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Barking Gecko Theatre Company Ltd |
WA |
$165,000 |
Theatre |
|
Barkly Regional Arts Inc |
NT |
$300,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Beyond Empathy Ltd |
NSW |
$270,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Biennale of Sydney Limited |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
BlakDance Australia Ltd |
QLD |
$175,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Branch Nebula Incorporated |
NSW |
$150,000 |
Theatre |
|
Metro Arts (trading under Brisbane Community Arts Centre Ltd) |
QLD |
$150,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Brisbane Writers' Festival Association Inc. |
QLD |
$95,000 |
Literature |
|
Brown's Mart Arts Limited |
NT |
$195,000 |
Theatre |
|
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Limited |
QLD |
$250,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Campbelltown Arts Centre |
NSW |
$200,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Canberra Glassworks Limited |
ACT |
$123,750 |
Visual Arts |
|
Canberra Symphony Orchestra |
ACT |
$253,366 |
* |
|
CarriageWorks Limited |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association |
NT |
$266,000 |
Music / Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Chunky Move Ltd |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Dance |
|
Circa |
QLD |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Community Arts Network Western Australia Ltd |
WA |
$300,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Contemporary Art Tasmania |
TAS |
$213,675 |
Visual Arts |
|
Corrugated Iron Youth Arts Inc |
NT |
$260,000 |
Theatre |
|
Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre Inc |
ACT |
$95,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Crafts Council of Victoria Ltd |
VIC |
$100,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Creative Recovery Network Inc |
QLD |
$200,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Crossroad Arts Inc |
QLD |
$110,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Cultural Development Network Inc |
VIC |
$210,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Dance North (trading under North Queensland Ballet and Dance Company Limited) |
QLD |
$300,000 |
Dance |
|
Dancehouse Incorporated |
VIC |
$220,000 |
Dance |
|
Darwin Community Arts Incorporated |
NT |
$250,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Darwin Symphony Orchestra |
NT |
$208,350 |
* |
|
Desart Inc |
NT |
$300,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Design Tasmania Limited |
TAS |
$75,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Eleanor Dark Foundation Ltd |
NSW |
$80,000 |
Literature |
|
Ensemble Offspring |
NSW |
$200,000 |
Music |
|
Expressions The Queensland Dance Theatre Ltd |
QLD |
$250,000 |
Dance |
|
Eyeline Publishing Ltd |
QLD |
$75,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Feral Arts Corp Ltd |
QLD |
$300,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Firstdraft Incorporated |
NSW |
$110,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Footscray Community Arts Centre Ltd |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Gadigal Information Service |
NSW |
$200,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Gertrude Contemporary |
VIC |
$225,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Griffin Theatre Company Limited |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Griffith Review |
QLD |
$100,000 |
Literature |
|
HotHouse Theatre Limited |
VIC |
$240,000 |
Theatre |
|
IAD Press t/u Institute for Aboriginal Development (Aboriginal Corporation) |
NT |
$83,534 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
ILBIJERRI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-op |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Theatre / Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Information and Cultural Exchange Inc (ICE) |
NSW |
$285,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Insite Arts International Pty Ltd |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Institute of Modern Art Limited |
QLD |
$139,177 |
Visual Arts |
|
JamFactory Contemporary Craft & Design Inc |
SA |
$225,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Kickstart Arts Inc |
TAS |
$300,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre Aboriginal Corporation - KALACC |
WA |
$140,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
La Boite Theatre Inc |
QLD |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
La Mama Inc |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Liquid Architecture Sound Inc |
VIC |
$130,000 |
Emerging and Experimental Arts |
|
Lucy Guerin Association Inc |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Dance |
|
Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation |
WA |
$275,715 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Marrugeku Inc |
WA |
$300,000 |
Dance / Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Moogahlin Performing Arts Inc |
NSW |
$200,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Multicultural Arts Victoria Inc |
VIC |
$250,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Board |
NT |
$150,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Museum of Contemporary Art Limited |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
New Musicals Australia |
NSW |
$180,000 |
Music |
|
Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council |
NT |
$150,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
NT Writers' Centre Inc |
NT |
$75,000 |
Literature |
|
Open City Incorporated |
NSW |
$210,000 |
Emerging and Experimental Arts |
|
Outer Urban Projects Ltd |
VIC |
$250,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Overland Literary Journal / O L Society Limited |
VIC |
$80,000 |
Literature |
|
Patch Theatre Company Inc |
SA |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Performing Arts Centre Society Inc |
WA |
$173,534 |
Theatre |
|
Performing Lines Limited |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts Ltd |
WA |
$300,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
PlayWriting Australia |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Polyglot Theatre Ltd |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Powerhouse Youth Theatre Inc |
NSW |
$230,000 |
Theatre |
|
PVI Collective Ltd |
WA |
$275,600 |
Emerging and Experimental Arts |
|
Queensland Art Gallery |
QLD |
$78,200 |
Visual Arts |
|
QMusic for BIGSOUND |
QLD |
$280,000 |
Music |
|
Restless Dance Theatre Inc |
SA |
$300,000 |
Dance |
|
Salamanca Arts Centre Inc |
TAS |
$275,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Shaun Parker & Company Ltd |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Dance |
|
Shopfront Theatre for Young People Co-operative Ltd |
NSW |
$250,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Somebody's Daughter Theatre Company Inc |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development |
|
Sound Alliance for the Electronic Music Conference |
NSW |
$150,000 |
Music |
|
South Australian Country Arts Trust |
SA |
$285,000 |
Multi-Arts |
|
Speak Percussion |
VIC |
$180,000 |
Music |
|
St Martins Youth Arts Centre |
VIC |
$120,000 |
Theatre |
|
Sydney Writers' Festival Ltd |
NSW |
$200,000 |
Literature |
|
Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute Inc. |
SA |
$300,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
Tasdance Ltd |
TAS |
$150,000 |
Dance |
|
Terrapin Puppet Theatre Ltd |
TAS |
$260,000 |
Theatre |
|
The Performance Space Ltd |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Emerging and Experimental Arts |
|
The Red Room Company Ltd |
NSW |
$118,000 |
Literature |
|
The Song Company Pty Ltd |
NSW |
$240,000 |
Music |
|
Theatre Network Victoria Inc |
VIC |
$75,000 |
Theatre |
|
Tracks Inc |
NT |
$300,000 |
Dance |
|
Tura New Music Ltd |
WA |
$200,000 |
Music |
|
Umi Arts Ltd |
QLD |
$225,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
University of Queensland Press |
QLD |
$148,000 |
Literature |
|
University of Western Sydney (Writing and Society Research Centre) |
NSW |
$80,000 |
Literature |
|
Urban Theatre Projects Ltd |
NSW |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Victorian Opera Company Ltd |
VIC |
$300,000 |
Music |
|
Warburton Youth Arts Centre |
WA |
$125,000 |
Community Arts and Cultural Development / Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
|
West Space Incorporated |
VIC |
$105,000 |
Visual Arts |
|
Wheeler Centre: Books, Writing and Ideas |
VIC |
$100,000 |
Literature |
|
Windmill Theatre / Australian Children's Performing Arts Company |
SA |
$300,000 |
Theatre |
|
Yirra Yaakin Aboriginal Corporation |
WA |
$300,000 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts |
Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.