A number of arts organisations are reeling after being told by Creative Victoria they will receive funding for only two years rather than the traditional four in the latest Creative Enterprises Program funding round.
Melbourne’s La Mama Theatre, St Martins Youth Theatre and Theatre Works are among those affected. All are key operators in the arts developing new voices and works and providing access for young people and diverse groups.
La Mama was forced to get creative with fundraising this year, selling limited edition vintage prints.
Creative Victoria said in a statement on Friday an additional two-year term of funding would be negotiated on completion of the initial term. What that will entail is unclear at this stage.
However, 10 of the 81 organisations funded in this round have been awarded significant grants for the first time, including Footscray-based group L2R Dance; Birrarangga Film Festival, celebrating Indigenous cinema and set up by actor Tony Briggs; Warrnambool’s Find Your Voice Collective, a choir for artists with a disability; and Circus Nexis.
Theatre Networks Australia chief executive Amrita Lee said the change to a two-year funding cycle was a problem for companies creating new works.
“If you are a commissioning, presenting, touring organisation, [a two-year funding cycle] makes it very difficult to operate,” she said. “That is our key concern there. We are very cognisant that that is the reality for a lot of arts organisations.
“It could mean commissioning fewer works, lower fees or lower incomes for artists going forward. That’s something that we are very concerned about. They are coming off a low base.”
She said there had not been an increase in community enterprise partnerships and multi-year organisation funding over the past 10 years.
“In real terms, for a lot of arts organisations, that is 35 to 40 per cent under what we should be on now, given the rise in all operating costs.
“A lot of organisations have been trading in deficit lately because they just haven’t been able to meet rising costs.”
Theatre Works general manager Dianne Toulson said that while the funding received was essential, she couldn’t understand why the timing had changed to just two years. Without it “we would have had to shut the doors straight away”, she said, even though Theatre Works has reserves and this year had its biggest box office taking.
Toulson asked for more transparency and clarity from the government. “Two years doesn’t give us enough security,” she said.
Nadja Kostich, chief executive and artistic director of St Martins Youth Theatre – which had its funding cut to two years from four – was also surprised by the change, especially given youth is listed as a priority in the Creative State 28. “What is the strategy in giving us this news now?” she asked. “Smaller companies can’t catch a breath to get over the putting out of spot fires.”
Footscray-based not-for-profit social enterprise group L2R Dance has received funding in the latest round announced by Creative Victoria. Credit: Avneil Mohan
L2R Dance chief executive and artistic director Jacinda Richards said the $100,000 in annual funding for four years was a game changer for the group. A not-for-profit social enterprise, the organisation gives young people who might not otherwise have the opportunity access to free dance classes. Richards said it also provided “professional development and employment to create a new generation of artists and leaders”.
The group provides 10 free hip hop and street dance classes a week to students from Melbourne west’s, primarily from Wyndham, Maribyrnong and Brimbank. It also has 20 young artists who perform at community events.
“It’s huge, it’s a game changer for us. It’s been a big goal of ours to diversify income streams and leverage government investment,” Richards said.
Eight First Nations-led organisations to receive funding include Blak Dot Gallery, Agency Projects, Baluk Arts, Koorie Heritage Trust and The Torch, which provides programs for Indigenous people in prison.
Many industry service organisations – advocacy groups such as Theatre Network Australia, Arts Access Victoria, Regional Arts Victoria and youth music program The Push – have also been funded for two years rather than the traditional four.
“At this stage we do not know what the strategy is behind this decision,” Theatre Networks’ Lee said.
Details of the organisations to miss out on funding this round have not been provided.
“Although we haven’t had official confirmation, we also understand there is no transitional funding for currently funded organisations that have been unsuccessful in this round [of funding, known as the Creative Enterprises Program],” Lee said.
“If they don’t have substantial reserves, they have to make some very tough and difficult decisions very quickly. Some are facing a funding cliff on December 31, when their current funding agreements end.
“Overall as a sector, we very much understand that the state is in financial difficulty, and really we just want transparency, consultation, collaboration and clarity in the way we work with the minister’s office and Creative Victoria.
“We need to do that if we are going to have to adjust; we need to be able to work collaboratively with them so that we don’t decimate the sector, and so we can maintain Victoria’s reputation as the creative state.”
Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said Victoria was “the creative state, and these 81 organisations play an integral part in that”.
“Victoria’s $41.2 billion creative economy supports jobs and helps businesses thrive,” he said. “This program ensures Victorians of all ages and all parts of the state can make the most of what’s on offer.”
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