As Tone Deaf reported earlier this week, Australia’s arts community is celebrating the news that Senator George Brandis has been sacked from the Arts Ministry at the behest of newly minted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
However, new reports are sure to put an end to the jubilation. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, freshly sworn in Arts Minister and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has confirmed he will not undo the damage done by his predecessor.
Sen Brandis oversaw significant cuts to the arts community across all sectors, specifically a diversion of more than $104 million in funds from grants body the Australia Council to fund a National Programme for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA).
The NPEA was to be administered by Sen Brandis, with grants signed off by him personally. The move was heavily criticised by Australia’s arts community, with Labor has describing it as a “slush fund” and “private arts fiefdom”.
In his first media appearance since being appointed, Sen Fifield confirmed he would be going ahead with Sen Brandis’ controversial program, despite calls from artists to “undo the damage” done by Brandis and abandon the NPEA.
“Obviously I hear what some organisations are saying,” he said. “The $26 million that George (Brandis) has set aside is actually to support small and medium organisations,” he claimed. Few details about the NPEA have been shared with the public so far.
While affirming his commitment to the NPEA, Sen Fifield omitted the word “excellence”, instead describing the fund as a way to do something “different”, saying, “We’re looking to see if we can do some innovative and different things. That’s the objective.”
Critics have claimed the diversion of funds from the Australia Council removes objectivity from the grants process and according to Fairfax, a Senate inquiry is under way into the controversial new body.
Earlier this year, Crikey published a list of the 145 arts companies that have been gutted as a result of the cuts, including events such as the Queensland Music Festival.
