Queensland 2023 budget delivers for art and cultural sectors

Queensland’s 2023 budget is injecting $51.4 million over four years to preserve and enhance the accessibility of the state’s art and cultural infrastructure, to secure blockbuster exhibitions and events for galleries and museums and to raise the international profile of Queensland’s contemporary music and artists.

$13.4 million will secure blockbuster exhibitions and events for the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), and Queensland Museum Network’s (QMN) hosting of the World Science Festival Brisbane.

$28.8 million will be injected into the management and conservation of the heritage-listed Queensland Cultural Centre and delivery of flexible performance space at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), and a further $6.9 million will enhance the storage and accessibility of the State's extensive cultural collections.

Building on the success of recent blockbuster programming at QAGOMA including Air and European Masterpieces from ‘The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, investment of $4.4 million over two years from 2025-26 and ongoing annual funding of $2.2 million from 2027-28 will secure a continued pipeline of economy boosting exhibitions.

Since 2016, blockbuster investment of $22.8 million, together with support from Tourism and Events Queensland for exclusive exhibitions through QAGOMA, has generated more than $140 million in economic impact to date.

The Queensland Government has also committed $9 million over three years from 2024-25, to continue to engage Queenslanders in the wonders of science, attract visitors to the state and boost the states’ leadership in the global knowledge economy.

This budget builds on investment announced earlier this year of $2.4 million over four years from 2022-2023, to secure a strong future for QMusic’s annual BIGSOUND event and raise the international profile of Queensland’s contemporary music and artists. This investment builds on existing funding commitments to BIGSOUND including to grow First Nations music through the Goolwall Goolwall initiative in partnership with Triple A Murri Country.

Reinforcing the Queensland Government’s commitment to accessible arts experiences, $600,000 in 2023-24 will support Vision Australia Queensland Library and Braille House to enhance library services for vision impaired Queenslanders through the State Library of Queensland, while $920,000 over four years, and $260,000 per annum for ongoing delivery, will support QAGOMA continue to digitise its collections enhancing accessibility of the state’s visual art collection.

Recognising the important role of QPAC in bringing engaging performing arts experiences to the state, showcasing local artists, arts companies and sharing uniquely Queensland stories, investment of $22.5 million over two years will support essential upgrades, construction of flexible performance space, enhanced digital capacity and continued development of First Nations initiatives.

The Queensland Government will inject almost $8 million to preserve and future proof the heritage-listed Queensland Cultural Centre, including $2 million to undertake a feasibility study to consider opportunities to improve the Queensland Cultural Centre’s flood resilience, in addition to essential maintenance of QMN’s state-wide cultural assets.

The State Budget 2023 also recognises the social and economic benefit of broader arts precincts in Queensland, with $700,000 allocated to support consideration of a Lyric Theatre at the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts, subject to matched funding from the Federal Government and the Gold Coast City Council.

The Queensland Government State Budget 2023 outcomes for arts and culture in Queensland underpins the state’s Creative Together 2020-2030: 10-Year Roadmap for Arts culture, and Creativity in Queensland, and its vision to renew and transform the state through creativity.

Image top: Credit: QAGOMA; image above: Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC),