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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-08 Daily Xml
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ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen) (15:13): In view of the information the Premier has just given us, why did he endorse the concept of an international guitar festival without completing an adequate business case, and what impact has that festival's $2 million in losses had on other Festival Centre activities? The Premier claimed personal credit for the concept and the business case for the Guitar Festival when he told parliament on 27 June 2007:

That is basically how it came about. David Spelman was visiting WOMAD from New York. I was introduced to him and, as a result, I met him in New York and we reached an agreement for the New York Guitar Festival, which is regarded as the best in the world, to basically have a southern hemisphere incarnation in Adelaide.

The 2007 and 2008 festivals each recorded a loss of more than $1 million. The 2008 Cabaret Festival was subsequently cut.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (15:14): Sometimes it's wrong to be right too soon! On Monday 30 March 2009 the Adelaide Festival Centre announced that the Adelaide International Guitar Festival is to become a biennial rather than annual event, with the next festival to be held in November 2010. This step will allow a greater lead time between each festival and thereby help the festival's artistic director, accomplished guitarist, Mr Slava Grigoryan, to secure artists and projects that will excite audiences and help to secure more sponsors.

Slava's national and international touring throughout 2009 provides an opportunity to discuss potential appearances with top level artists around the world. Inevitably, some of his first choices are simply not available for 2009. It is a huge coup to get Slava Grigoryan to be the artistic director—let me just give you the big tip—and I am looking forward to a very strong International Guitar Festival. It will continue, okay.

The Guitar Festival has built considerable interest amongst artists and audience. The Festival Centre is keen to work with Mr Grigoryan to build it into an event of the highest calibre. The 2010 Guitar Festival will be held in the last week of November and the Festival Centre aims to announce the full program by late August 2010. Can I say that I have great confidence in the Adelaide Festival Centre and in its artistic director. They have brought this Festival Centre, our artistic hub, to life. It was closed down; it was in darkness when you were in government because you do not give a damn about the arts. I did not see any of you in cheesecloth at WOMAdelaide a few weeks ago.

Ms CHAPMAN: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. Surely, it is quite unacceptable to say that 'you do not give a damn about the arts', which is just what the Premier did.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order. I do give a damn about the arts.

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