WINNERS AND LOSERS

WINNERS AND LOSERS

Theatre companies are amongst the 62 organisations to be defunded by The Australia Council in latest four year key organisation funding round.

The Red Stitch Theatre Company in Melbourne, the Lismore based NORPA and Adelaide’s Slingsby theatre company were unsuccessful in their grant bids.

All three companies have produced critically acclaimed new Australian work in recent years.

Stage Whispers' Peter Pinne described NORPA’s Railway Wonderland as the best site specific theatre he had ever seen. Picture, above, by Grant MacIntyre.

http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/railway-wonderland

Red Stitch Theatre’s 2016 season included eight Australian premieres.

http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/news/red-stitch-season-2016

The reduction in funding to small and medium theatres was prompted by the Federal Governments budget cuts in 2015 and a new grants model.

Others to lose all Federal Funding include Sydney-based dance group Force Majeure, Adelaide's Slingsby Theatre, the Canberra Contemporary Artspace, Melbourne’s Red Stitch Actors' Theatre, Phillip Adams Ballet Lab and Theatre Works.


“Australian theatre audiences, performers and stage crews are facing a bleak future as the Federal Government’s drastic arts funding cuts start to bite,” says the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance. “Following the loss of $60 million from its budget, the Australia Council has been forced to defund dozens of small to medium theatre companies, leaving many without funding or facing reduced budgets.”

“According to some reports, more than one third of the 147 organisations who previously received organisational funding now have no operational funding from the Federal Government,” the MEAA statement continued.
 

MEAA CEO Paul Murphy said many of the small to medium companies who lost their funding this week play a crucial role in nurturing and developing local talent.
 

“The impact of these cuts will be felt by our performers, crew and other creatives for many years to come,” said Murphy.
 

“This is exactly the dire outcome we warned about when the cuts to the Australia Council were announced in the 2015 federal Budget.”


Australian Major Performing Arts Group (AMPAG) acknowledges Federal Funding come as a welcome relief, “We recognise many esteemed arts organisations are Catalyst recipients and/or have gained Australia Council multi-year funding and we congratulate their individual success.  However arts sector is highly interconnected and the outcomes for individual organisations will have an impact across the entire sector.

“Funding has come at the 11thhour and there is painfully little co-ordinated Government analysis on the impact of decision on the artistic vibrancy and sustainability for the Arts in Australia as a result. Today’s announcement confirms that respected organisations responsible for significant new works, valued collaborations with major performing arts companies and festivals, providing professional employment opportunities and developers of creative talent with proven track records here and overseas now face extremely uncertain futures.

“The Australia Council, recognising the importance of multi-year operational funding, to their credit, has allocated addition funds in this round, however given they are operating with an overall lower budget than previous years the next question is – What other initiatives have been reduced to accommodate this?”

In a statement co-signed by the member companies of the Confederation of Australian State Theatre Companies, CAST called on the Federal government to “formally review its budget cuts to the Australia Council after today’s announcement that 62 arts organisations will be defunded after failing to secure key organisation core funding.”

“These cuts have an impact just as dramatic and negative as the arts industry has feared and will cause irreparable damage across the sector – one that contributes over $4.2 billion to GDP in Australia,” the CAST Executive Council said.

“Small to medium companies are the lifeblood of the theatre sector across Australia and where some of the most innovative new Australian work is generated and presented. They also punch well above their weight in terms of both national and international touring and play a vital role in developing artists and practitioners nationally, including five of the current artistic directors of CAST companies who were significantly supported by the small to medium sector before taking on executive roles at major performing arts organisations.

“Likewise, many acclaimed and award-winning co-productions in recent CAST company seasons would not have been possible without collaboration with small to medium organisations. These organisations include Arena Theatre, Barking Gecko, Brink Productions, Chunky Move, Circa, Force Majeure, Griffin, Hothouse Theatre, Ilbijerri, LaBoite, Performing Lines, Playwriting Australia, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, The Blue Room Theatre, Windmill Theatre and Yirra Yaakin.”

“It is virtually certain that a number of the key organisations defunded today won’t survive. While CAST acknowledges that the government’s new Catalyst program might provide funding for some projects that may have previously been supported by the Australia Council, project funding is of little use to a company that has no operational support to exist in the first place,” the CAST Executive Council said.

43 new organisations are receiving multi-year core program funding for the first time.

They include New Musicals Australia – operating out of the Hayes Theatre – which will receive $180,000 per annum

Some Key points:

•       The average Four Year Funding level is $219,000, compared with $157,000 under the previous programs.

•       More than 80% of the successful applicants have a focus on creating new work over the next four years.

•       Two thirds of the successful applicants identified international activity as a priority.

•       More than half the organisations plan to tour as part of their program.

•       10 theatre companies making work by, with, and for young people, have been successful.

 

Organisation Name

State/territory

Amount Funded per annum

Arts Practice

Art Gallery of South Australia

SA

$200,000

Visual Arts

Art Monthly Australia

ACT

$91,144

Visual Arts

Artback NT Arts Development and Touring Inc

NT

$300,000

Multi-Arts

Artlink Australia

SA

$80,000

Visual Arts

Arts Access Australia Limited

TAS

$225,000

Multi-Arts

Arts Access Society Inc

VIC

$270,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Arts Law Centre of Australia

NSW

$244,320

*

Artspace Visual Arts Centre Ltd

NSW

$239,200

Visual Arts

Asian Australian Artists Association Inc

NSW

$85,000

Visual Arts

Association of Northern Kimberley & Arnhem Aboriginal Artists

NT

$215,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (APRA)

for Sounds Australia

NSW

$300,000

Music

Australian Art Orchestra Ltd

VIC

$292,000

Music

Australian Book Review Inc

VIC

$140,000

Literature

Australian Centre for Contemporary Art

VIC

$264,000

Visual Arts

Australian Copyright Council

NSW

$261,628

*

Australian Dance Theatre

SA

$300,000

Dance

Australian Music Centre Ltd

NSW

$280,000

Music

Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT)

SA

$300,000

Emerging and Experimental Arts

Australian Script Centre

TAS

$208,000

Theatre

Australian String Quartet Inc

SA

$250,000

Music

Australian Theatre for Young People

NSW

$275,000

Theatre

Back to Back Theatre Inc

VIC

$300,000

Theatre

Barking Gecko Theatre Company Ltd

WA

$165,000

Theatre

Barkly Regional Arts Inc

NT

$300,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Beyond Empathy Ltd

NSW

$270,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Biennale of Sydney Limited

NSW

$300,000

Visual Arts

BlakDance Australia Ltd

QLD

$175,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Branch Nebula Incorporated

NSW

$150,000

Theatre

Metro Arts (trading under Brisbane Community Arts Centre Ltd)

QLD

$150,000

Multi-Arts

Brisbane Writers' Festival Association Inc.

QLD

$95,000

Literature

Brown's Mart Arts Limited

NT

$195,000

Theatre

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Limited

QLD

$250,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Campbelltown Arts Centre

NSW

$200,000

Multi-Arts

Canberra Glassworks Limited

ACT

$123,750

Visual Arts

Canberra Symphony Orchestra

ACT

$253,366

*

CarriageWorks Limited

NSW

$300,000

Multi-Arts

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association

NT

$266,000

Music / Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Chunky Move Ltd

VIC

$300,000

Dance

Circa

QLD

$300,000

Theatre

Community Arts Network Western Australia Ltd

WA

$300,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Contemporary Art Tasmania

TAS

$213,675

Visual Arts

Corrugated Iron Youth Arts Inc

NT

$260,000

Theatre

Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre Inc

ACT

$95,000

Visual Arts

Crafts Council of Victoria Ltd

VIC

$100,000

Visual Arts

Creative Recovery Network Inc

QLD

$200,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Crossroad Arts Inc

QLD

$110,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Cultural Development Network Inc

VIC

$210,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Dance North (trading under North Queensland Ballet and Dance Company Limited)

QLD

$300,000

Dance

Dancehouse Incorporated

VIC

$220,000

Dance

Darwin Community Arts Incorporated

NT

$250,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Darwin Symphony Orchestra

NT

$208,350

*

Desart Inc

NT

$300,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Design Tasmania Limited

TAS

$75,000

Visual Arts

Eleanor Dark Foundation Ltd

NSW

$80,000

Literature

Ensemble Offspring

NSW

$200,000

Music

Expressions The Queensland Dance Theatre Ltd

QLD

$250,000

Dance

Eyeline Publishing Ltd

QLD

$75,000

Visual Arts

Feral Arts Corp Ltd

QLD

$300,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Firstdraft Incorporated

NSW

$110,000

Visual Arts

Footscray Community Arts Centre Ltd

VIC

$300,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Gadigal Information Service

NSW

$200,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Gertrude Contemporary

VIC

$225,000

Visual Arts

Griffin Theatre Company Limited

NSW

$300,000

Theatre

Griffith Review

QLD

$100,000

Literature

HotHouse Theatre Limited

VIC

$240,000

Theatre

IAD Press t/u Institute for Aboriginal Development (Aboriginal Corporation)

NT

$83,534

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

ILBIJERRI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-op

VIC

$300,000

Theatre / Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Information and Cultural Exchange Inc (ICE)

NSW

$285,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Insite Arts International Pty Ltd

VIC

$300,000

Multi-Arts

Institute of Modern Art Limited

QLD

$139,177

Visual Arts

JamFactory Contemporary Craft & Design Inc

SA

$225,000

Visual Arts

Kickstart Arts Inc

TAS

$300,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre Aboriginal Corporation - KALACC

WA

$140,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

La Boite Theatre Inc

QLD

$300,000

Theatre

La Mama Inc

VIC

$300,000

Theatre

Liquid Architecture Sound Inc

VIC

$130,000

Emerging and Experimental Arts

Lucy Guerin Association Inc

VIC

$300,000

Dance

Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation

WA

$275,715

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Marrugeku Inc

WA

$300,000

Dance / Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Moogahlin Performing Arts Inc

NSW

$200,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Multicultural Arts Victoria Inc

VIC

$250,000

Multi-Arts

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Board

NT

$150,000

Visual Arts

Museum of Contemporary Art Limited

NSW

$300,000

Visual Arts

New Musicals Australia

NSW

$180,000

Music

Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council

NT

$150,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

NT Writers' Centre Inc

NT

$75,000

Literature

Open City Incorporated

NSW

$210,000

Emerging and Experimental Arts

Outer Urban Projects Ltd

VIC

$250,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Overland Literary Journal / O L Society Limited

VIC

$80,000

Literature

Patch Theatre Company Inc

SA

$300,000

Theatre

Performing Arts Centre Society Inc

WA

$173,534

Theatre

Performing Lines Limited

NSW

$300,000

Theatre

Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts Ltd

WA

$300,000

Multi-Arts

PlayWriting Australia

NSW

$300,000

Theatre

Polyglot Theatre Ltd

VIC

$300,000

Theatre

Powerhouse Youth Theatre Inc

NSW

$230,000

Theatre

PVI Collective Ltd

WA

$275,600

Emerging and Experimental Arts

Queensland Art Gallery

QLD

$78,200

Visual Arts

QMusic for BIGSOUND

QLD

$280,000

Music

Restless Dance Theatre Inc

SA

$300,000

Dance

Salamanca Arts Centre Inc

TAS

$275,000

Multi-Arts

Shaun Parker & Company Ltd

NSW

$300,000

Dance

Shopfront Theatre for Young People Co-operative Ltd

NSW

$250,000

Multi-Arts

Somebody's Daughter Theatre Company Inc

VIC

$300,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development

Sound Alliance for the Electronic Music Conference

NSW

$150,000

Music

South Australian Country Arts Trust

SA

$285,000

Multi-Arts

Speak Percussion

VIC

$180,000

Music

St Martins Youth Arts Centre

VIC

$120,000

Theatre

Sydney Writers' Festival Ltd

NSW

$200,000

Literature

Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute Inc.

SA

$300,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

Tasdance Ltd

TAS

$150,000

Dance

Terrapin Puppet Theatre Ltd

TAS

$260,000

Theatre

The Performance Space Ltd

NSW

$300,000

Emerging and Experimental Arts

The Red Room Company Ltd

NSW

$118,000

Literature

The Song Company Pty Ltd

NSW

$240,000

Music

Theatre Network Victoria Inc

VIC

$75,000

Theatre

Tracks Inc

NT

$300,000

Dance

Tura New Music Ltd

WA

$200,000

Music

Umi Arts Ltd

QLD

$225,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

University of Queensland Press

QLD

$148,000

Literature

University of Western Sydney (Writing and Society Research Centre)

NSW

$80,000

Literature

Urban Theatre Projects Ltd

NSW

$300,000

Theatre

Victorian Opera Company Ltd

VIC

$300,000

Music

Warburton Youth Arts Centre

WA

$125,000

Community Arts and Cultural Development / Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

West Space Incorporated

VIC

$105,000

Visual Arts

Wheeler Centre: Books, Writing and Ideas

VIC

$100,000

Literature

Windmill Theatre / Australian Children's Performing Arts Company

SA

$300,000

Theatre

Yirra Yaakin Aboriginal Corporation

WA

$300,000

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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