Arts Sector

Ms HOOD (Adelaide) (14:47): My question is to the Minister for Arts. How is the government supporting the arts, culture and creative sector?

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts) (14:47): I want to thank the member for Adelaide for her question. The member for Adelaide has the great privilege of having an electorate that is the home of our incredible cultural institutions and some incredible artistic organisations here in the seat at Adelaide. The Malinauskas government today has ushered in a new era for arts in South Australia, off the back of the former government tearing up Arts SA and moving it to a couple of agencies, making it really incredibly difficult to provide clear policy direction and support for the entire sector.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: We are now bringing the family back together.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morialta! Member for Badcoe! Member for Elder! Member for Chaffey! The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: We on this side of the chamber understand the importance of arts culture and creativity.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: Its power in telling stories and building our community is paramount, so from 1 October, through a machinery of government change, arts, culture and creative industries will be fused together in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the heart of government, to create that unification and that scale to make sure that arts, culture and creativity are really on the front foot. It is giving us an exciting opportunity to focus and connect for the benefit of the future for the arts in South Australia.

The first task of this new agency is to work through a landmark state cultural policy, focusing on the long-term vision for the arts creative sector. It will build on and continue to support the achievements of our incredible artists, arts organisations and arts workers. The development of a new cultural policy will be done in collaboration with those that we are seeking to benefit—of course, the artists, the arts workers and those working in the sector.

It will see a long-term vision for arts here in South Australia, and my intention is to align it with the National Cultural Policy—Revive, which was put out recently by the minister, the Hon. Tony Burke. South Australia is globally renowned for its extraordinary arts, culture and creativity. Just yesterday we were talking in this place about the 50^th anniversary of the Adelaide Festival Centre and all the incredible work that has been done there, the first of its kind in Australia. This new direction is really an exciting chapter as we embark on that cultural policy.

In addition to that, we know that arts, culture and creativity dealt with a difficult time during the pandemic, and the aftershocks can still be felt with increasing costs the sector is facing. In recognising that, the government will provide multiyear funded arts organisations with a bonus payment equal to the indexation for not-for-profits announced in the 2022-23 Mid-Year Budget Review to provide immediate additional support for those recovering in our sector.

In addition to the cultural policy, by the end of the year the government will launch the terms of reference for a task force to look into sustainable careers for artists and arts workers and will be seeking expressions of interest from the sector to join that task force and help us with that job. The department will consult on new legislation as well, which will recognise and enshrine the value of arts, culture and creativity in South Australia.

I am really excited about this new united arts portfolio and an ability to work strategically and collaboratively across government and across the sector for the future of arts culture and creativity in South Australia.