CULTURE AND THE ARTS

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (14:43): My question is to the Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts. I ask the minister to update the house on the new investments being made in our state's major cultural institutions.

The Hon. C.C. FOX (Bright—Minister for Transport Services, Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts) (14:43): I thank the member for this very important question. South Australia's major cultural institutions, including the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum and the State Library, are at the core of this state's cultural heritage and continue to contribute enormously to our status as the festival state.

This government's commitment to our cultural boulevard has been demonstrated by an additional investment of $18.2 million over four years to underpin their future, given that art and culture are the foundation of any vibrant city including our own. In addition, this government has invested a further $6 million for infrastructure works at the Festival Centre.

In Adelaide we are extremely fortunate to have our major cultural institutions in the same area—that is, along North Terrace—and our additional investment in this precinct will allow these institutions to continue to pursue blockbuster exhibitions such as Turner from the Tate, which drew people from not only South Australia but also interstate and overseas. In fact, some 35 per cent of our visitors to this exhibition came from interstate and overseas, and I think that is a demonstration of just how successful it has been.

These exhibitions help to increase visitors to our city, as well as create vibrancy along North Terrace, especially when the hours are extended into the later evenings. The additional investment of $18.2 million over four years will assist these institutions in maintaining the quality of their collections and finding new ways to attract people to see them, while demonstrating this government's commitment to the cultural life of this state.

The cultural institutions play a key role in the Adelaide Festival, the Fringe and other events, and the additional investment will support enhanced programming for the younger South Australians, with exhibitions targeted at children from the earliest age and preschoolers to primary and high school students across the state.

Very recently, the Art Gallery of South Australia opened a $600,000 studio just for children, an educational centre that was in fact opened by the Premier, and that has proved to be an enormous success already. We recognise that cultural institutions no longer exist necessarily between just four walls and that is why this additional investment will also support the expansion of online content and regional tours, making them more accessible to people all over South Australia, Australia and the world.