Creative Partnerships Australia to be abolished under Federal Budget moves

With, as foreshadowed, Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers' first budget in office focussing on families and healthcare while also looking to cut down on rorts and waste, there were almost no new initiatives for the arts, with most announcements small and involving redirecting funds remaining from the pandemic response for the sector or from other areas within the arts portfolio.

Anticipating the development of a national cultural policy, which it said was “under development”, expenses under the arts and cultural heritage sub-functions are estimated to decrease by 20.6% in real terms from 2022/23 to 2025/26, although a budget release claims it "provides immediate support to artists and arts organisations to deliver high-quality programs to diverse audiences, to build new networks and partnerships, and to equip emerging talent with the skills to take their careers to the next level."

Most of the announcements were for the current financial year, suggesting that a more comprehensive arts budget will be forthcoming.

However, the budget did announce that Creative Partnerships Australia will be abolished and its functions and funding transferred to the Australia Council for the Arts while funding for this financial year also included $22 million to establish a live performance support fund to support eligible live event organisers affected by Covid-19.

Among specific funding announced, the budget will provide:

• $5 million to National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) Dance College to support vocational training in traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance to talented young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people seeking careers in dance and arts.

• $5 million to the National Institute of Dramatic Art to support the ongoing delivery of its courses recognising the acute skills shortages in the arts and creative sectors.

• $2.4 million to the Bundanon Trust to support its expanded operations in the Shoalhaven region of NSW.

• $2.4 million over four years from 2022-23 to offset the impact of the Efficiency Dividend on national performing arts training organisations.

The budget also confirmed investment in arts and culture through a broad range of portfolios, including providing:

• $80 million for the National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs to establish a world-leading facility displaying Australia’s most significant First Nations artists.

• $50 million for Perth’s Aboriginal Cultural Centre to develop an institution showcasing Western Australia’s First Nations history and culture.

• $13 million to the Burnie Cultural Precinct in Tasmania as part of the Government’s support for regional arts and cultural institutions.

Established in 2013 to drive giving and investment in Australia's cultural sector, Creative Partnerships Australia (CPA), was created through the consolidation of the Australia Council's Artsupport Australia initiative and the Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF).

Its establishment follows recommendations in the report of the 2012 Review of Private Sector Support for the Arts.