Federal Government releases new path for equity in the arts

The Australian Government has released its Equity: the Arts and Disability Associated Plan, an initiative to support the arts, cultural, screen and digital games sectors to achieve greater equity for artists, arts workers and audiences with disability.

Released yesterday evening at the 2024 Creative Australia Awards in Sydney, the four-year plan features actions and investments to build the foundations for equity in the arts and will see an investment of $8.1 million into initiatives that address barriers to equity and support the sector to build its capability to provide safer, more accessible and more inclusive workplaces and businesses.

The investments include:

• $2.25 million for an Arts and Screen Employment Pathways Pilot Program

• $2 million to extend and expand the reach of the current Creative Australia Arts and Disability Initiatives

• $1.2 million for accessibility activities at live music venues and music festivals through the 2024-25 Revive Live program

• $1 million for arts and disability services

• $600,000 to continue funding the annual National Arts and Disability Awards and Arts and Disability Fellowship

• $600,000 for a National Arts and Disability Forum and Gathering

• $250,000 for a National Arts and Disability Code of Practice or appropriate guidelines

• $200,000 for First Nations arts and disability needs and projects, to be delivered by Creative Australia’s First Nations Board.

Developed in close consultation with artists and art workers with disability, The Plan is an Associated Plan under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 and is an initiative under the National Cultural Policy, Revive.

• Building on Revive’s five pillars, the plan’s three key priorities are to:

• Recognise artists and arts workers with disability as central to Australia’s vibrant arts and cultural sector

• Build strong and inclusive governments and organisations

• Engage the audience with fair, open and equitable access to arts and culture

Launching the plan and advising that the nation’s arts, cultural, screen and digital sectors should reflect the communities they serve, Federal Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke stated “governments have talked about disability access as a way of just trying to make sure that everybody can get into the audience.

“This policy is wanting to make sure that people with disability have equal access to the stage, the studio and the screen.”

Click here for more details on Equity: the Arts and Disability Associated Plan.

Main image credit: Shutterstock.