Answers to Questions

Arts Funding

In reply to the Hon. T.A. FRANKS (18 May 2016).

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change): The Minister for the Arts has received this advice:

1. Arts South Australia took action as soon as the Australia Council announced its funding outcomes and met on 13 May 2016 with the small-to-medium organisations that have been affected by the funding decisions, as well as with other key funded organisations large and small. A clear message was given that the government, through Arts South Australia, will put in place initiatives to assist them to develop viable pathways for the future.

To implement its support, Arts South Australia has provided additional funding of $250,000 in 2017, from within its existing funding allocation, to support the affected organisations. Other funding has been used to increase the pool of available funds for the small-to-medium sector organisations in 2017. Eligibility criteria has been modified to ensure organisations that lost their support and investment partner by not being allocated Australia Council funding, were still eligible and competitive when applying for Arts South Australia funding.

Arts South Australia staff are working with organisations to explore alternative operating models and partnership arrangements across the sector. Two of the affected organisations – the Australian Experimental Arts Foundation and the Contemporary Arts Centre of South Australia – are in the process of amalgamating. Others have mounted very effective crowd funding campaigns, and are investigating other more sustainable partnerships and support for their future operations.

2. The current economic and fiscal conditions have required difficult decisions to be made across most sectors of the South Australian economy, including the government sector. All departments and agencies of government, including the arts, have been required to contribute to cross-government efficiency targets.

After the application of $3.7 million provided to Arts South Australia through the 2016-17 state budget to maintain arts activities, the efficiency target in 2016-17 for the arts sector has been reduced to $0.599 million. This target has been fully achieved through efficiency contributions from major arts organisations; no efficiency contributions were required from the small-to-medium sector.

Efficiency targets are projected to increase to $5.6 million per annum from 2019-20 after allowing for the $4 million per annum from 2017-18 to maintain arts activities provided through 2016-17 state budget.