South Australian Government responds to ‘Artists at Work Taskforce Report’

The South Australian Government promised at the election to create a taskforce to investigate work insecurity and income inequality experienced by South Australian artists and arts workers.

The SA Government recently unveiled its $80 million State Cultural Policy, A Place to Create. Alongside this work, are the recommendations of the Artists at Work Taskforce established in March 2024 to develop strategies to improve working conditions for artists.

Of the 56 recommendations, the State Government will respond to 51 with new actions. CreateSA will continue to work collaboratively with other government agencies on ‘noted’ recommendations that require further consultation and investigation.

Nick Linke OAM, Chair of Artists at Work Taskforce noted “The involvement of artists and the sector generally in the commissioning of the Taskforce shows the recognition of the important role artists and creatives play in the South Australian ecology and a commitment to addressing the difficult challenges faced by them.

“The response to the Taskforce’s report has been much anticipated by the sector and I look forward to seeing the key recommendations raised by South Australia’s Artists at Work Taskforce being addressed at both a state and national level in the future.”

Kate Jenkins, Chair of Creative Workplaces Council addded “Creative Workplaces is proud to partner with the South Australian Government and CreateSA to support the delivery to A Place to Create and on important work in response to the Artists at Work Taskforce recommendations.

“This collaboration strengthens our shared commitment to building fair, safe and culturally respectful workplaces across the creative industries.

“By working together, we can ensure that key recommendations raised by South Australia’s Artists at Work Taskforce are addressed at both a state and national level - helping to deliver lasting, sector-wide change.”

Key supported initiatives within the response include:

• Review and amend the Procurement Framework, and other procurement policies, to better support outcomes for local arts and cultural suppliers.

• Conduct outreach activities in the community to ensure that the benefits and value of arts and culture are better understood and maximised across the community.

• Undertake a comprehensive review of the current state awards that apply in the arts and culture sector, to ensure compliance and consistency with current modern awards.

• Offering an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Safety Training program for the arts, culture and creative sector.

• Facilitating access to Board and Governance training for independent, practising artists and creatives.

• Reviewing grant programs and mechanisms within CreateSA to ensure they are accessible and equitable.

• Investing in research and data analysis to grow understanding of arts, culture and creative workplaces and their challenges and help inform future policy development.

• Partnering with Creative Australia’s Creative Workplaces to deliver resources to support fair and safe workplaces across the arts, cultural and creative industries.

Many of the State Government’s responses to individual recommendations will be actioned through A Place to Create.

A key action is partnering with Creative Australia’s Creative Workplaces to deliver resources to support fair and safe workplaces across the arts, cultural and creative industries.

This pioneering collaboration with the Australian Government is a key mechanism through which the State Government will respond to Taskforce recommendations and ensure the issues raised by the Taskforce are considered at a national level.

For more information