As the nation prepares to vote next month, the Australian arts community tenaciously campaign for change.

A protest rally this morning outside Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s office in Edgecliff, NSW kicked off a national “day of action” coordinated by hundreds of creative professionals across Australia. Ahead of next month’s Federal Election, the arts community have been tenaciously campaigning for a radical overhaul of the current arts funding strategy. Both the Labor Party and the Greens have pledged major improvements to arts subsidy, including reversing funding cuts to the Australia Council which contributed to 62 Australian arts organisations losing multi-year operational funding on May 13, a day that has come to be known as “Black Friday”.

Between now and the election on July 2, artists around the country will be entering the political fray, with protests and demonstrations planned across the length and breadth of the country.

The NSW Theatre Network will be addressing its audiences after every performance by its seven member companies, as well as handing out “Avant Cards” which audiences members can use to write to their local MPs requesting better investment in the arts sector. The cards will also be available in a number of major galleries around the country.

In Melbourne, Malthouse Theatre will host a trio of performances on the theme of In the Bleak Midwinter, exploring the devastating impact of funding cuts during the Abbott-Turnbull administration, which exceeds $300 million over the past three years. Curated by theatre company The Rabble, the performances will feature work by an impressive lineup of artists including Alison Croggon, Angus Cerini, Mary Helen Sassman Dana Miltins, Meg Wilson, Matilda Woodroofe and Ursula Searle.

Live Performance Australia has created a revealing “report card” comparing the arts policies of the coalition vs Labor, the Greens and the Arts Party. In stark contrast to the ALP and Greens, who have pledged investment in the arts of $176.6 million and $270.2 million respectively, the coalition has promised just $20 million and have refused to restore funding to the Australia Council.

In addition to artist led activism, there are a number of ways arts patrons can show their support for Australian arts, by signing a petition, writing to local MPs and by using the hashtags #IStandWithThe Arts and #AusVoteArts on social media.


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