With one eye firmly fixed on the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane, the Queensland Government has announced $115.5 million in new Arts spending in its 2022-23 Budget, with a focus on supporting First Nations art and artists and boosting arts infrastructure across the state.

The funding, much of which will roll out over a four-year period, is designed to support the government’s Creative Together strategy, a 10-year roadmap for arts policy that was announced in 2020. Creative Together laid out a timeline in three phases – Sustain (2020–22, Grow (2022–26) and Thrive (2026–30). When the program was launched in 2020, $30 million was allocated, with a further $50 million added in this budget.

Queensland Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch. Image supplied.

The funding announced in this year’s Budget includes:

• $50 million over four years to support delivery of the Queensland Government’s 10-year Creative Together roadmap for arts, culture and creativity in Queensland, through the Grow 2022–2026 action plan;
• $63.1 million over four years for the Queensland Cultural Centre, including $58.1 million in critical infrastructure asset upgrades and maintenance works, and $5.1 million to enhance security and...