Australia’s national cultural institutions receive funding boost

The Federal Government has announced that Australia’s national cultural institutions will be receiving an additional $22.9 million in the Federal Budget to assist in their recovery from the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns.

Like many others in the cultural and creative sector, these major institutions have lost revenue from visitors, exhibitions and donations during the pandemic.

The funding comprises:

$2.3 million for the Australian Film Television and Radio School

$2.0 million for the Australian National Maritime Museum

$2.5 million for the National Film and Sound Archive

$4.5 million for the National Gallery of Australia

$5.4 million for the National Library of Australia

$3.9 million for the National Museum of Australia

$1.2 million for the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, and

$1.1 million for Screen Australia

In 2018–19 Australia’s national cultural institutions attracted over 10.6 million visitors (including traveling exhibitions) and had more than 49.5 million visits to their websites. Nearly a million objects from the national collections are now accessible to the public online.

Image: National Portrait Gallery Canberra