Arts Leaders Silenced by Cash Inducements

One of Australia’s leading arts administrators has described cuts to the Australia Council and the reaction by arts leaders to those cuts as a disgrace. David Spicer reports.

Michael Lynch, the former CEO of the Sydney Opera House,and London’s Southbank, today (9 March 2016) described the 40 million dollar cut to the Australia Council last year as “one of the worst pieces of bad administration I have seen in almost 40 years of working in this sector.

“The duplicity (by former Arts Minister George Brandis) to the Chairman and the Australia Council at the opening of the new Venice Pavilion was astonishing and without precedent,” he told a breakfast organized by Currency House.

“But what disturbs me most is the way the main players reacted to these changes. The major organisations seem to have been struck dumb by the Minister’s decisions and only a very few uttered any reaction to what was being done to artists and in particular small and medium arts organisations. 

“Most of the major organisations were requested to shut up as it would be in their interest to get access to the money that had been taken from the Council and dispensed by the Minister at his whim.”

Under the changes, the 40 million dollars cut from the Australia Council was to be distributed directly by the Minister’s office. Since the new Arts Minister Mitch Fifield took over from George Brandis, 12 million dollars has been restored to the Australia Council – which he welcomed.

“But the effects of last year's cuts are about to be felt across the arts sector. I'm sure it can only be negative and destructive and unnecessary.”

 Mr Lynch told the breakfast the former Prime Minister Tony Abbott had long hated the Australia Council and the funding cut was a pay back.

“Malcolm, you must stop this madness and restore the funding to the Australia Council and you must do it in this next Budget before you go to the people this year.”

He also made wry observations about the growing corporatization of the boards of major arts organizations.

“The Captains of Industry seem to have done very well in taking over the governance role in most of the arts organisations I have encountered.

“It wouldn’t hurt if people who knew about the industry were on the boards too.”

He noted that despite the growing number of business leaders on the boards of arts companies philanthropy continues to slide.

My Lynch was honoured this morning by Live Performance Australia, announcing him as the recipient of the Sue Nattrass Award for exceptional service to the industry.

He retired last year after five years at the helm of the 40 hectare Hong Kong Cultural District Authority and is also former Board member of the ABC and Film Australia.