Have your say on your how the arts benefit Australia
September 9, 2020
Individuals and organisations are invited to make a submission to a new Parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s creative and cultural industries and institutions.
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts will hear evidence from the arts community – including Indigenous, regional, rural and community-based organisations – on how they benefit Australia and how they have been impacted by COVID-19.
In a media release, Committee Chair Dr David Gillespie MP said: “Australia’s cultural and creative industries are at a point of significant change as Australia adapts to life in a pandemic.
“Australia’s creative innovation economy has made us a major player in the international arts arena, delivering benefits to our economy and helping shape our national identity. It’s time to reflect on and re-think the way we create and interact with art, as we react to the pandemic and the challenges we need to overcome.”
There is also the option to complete a ten-minute online survey for consideration in the inquiry and report. The survey and full submissions close on Thursday 22 October.
The inquiry comes hot on the heels of the Australia Council’s latest report on Australians’ attitudes towards and engagement with the arts. Their research shows that almost all Australians (98%) engage with the arts, with recognition of its positive impacts and support for public funding trending up.
“One in two Australians now believe the arts build the creative skills that will be necessary for the future workforce,” said Dr Wendy Were, the Australia Council’s Executive Director Advocacy and Development, in a media release. “Almost three quarters see it as a crucial part of education.
“While we face an uncertain future, we can be sure that arts and creativity have a significant role in helping us all navigate rapid change, and in building a happy, healthy and thriving society.”
These findings, along with those that emerge from the inquiry, will prove indispensable to Australia’s roadmap to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.