Building on Tasmania’s cultural and creative sector

12 November, 2020

Elise Archer MP

2020-21 Budget: Building on Tasmania’s cultural and creative sector

The Tasmanian Government has a Plan to rebuild a stronger Tasmania and part of this includes a strong and vibrant cultural and creative industries.

The 2020-21 State Budget builds on the sector’s significant momentum of recent years, as well as investing for further growth.

Today I can announce an additional $4 million in the 2020-21 State Budget to support the arts.

This includes $2.5 million over two years for an arts and cultural support fund, including $1 million for grants to support performers and artists to bounce back, and $1.5 million to support the arts and cultural sector to produce new work.

This fund will support artists and arts organisations who have not been able to earn the income they had planned due to cancelled engagements and terminated contracts through the COVID-19 period, to produce new work for new markets. This will assist our arts and cultural sector to remain active, vibrant and viable as we emerge and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am also pleased to announce that we will provide $1 million over two years to support a brand new program of Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) to deliver long-term improvements in social health and wellbeing through partnerships between the arts and community sectors.

CACD aims to build local skills by creating opportunities for community members to work with artists to develop programs that respond to community needs. It could include partnerships that address health, disability, justice and education priorities.

CACD work is critically important as Tasmania recovers from its COVID-19 hibernation, as it will support community projects to directly address social policy objectives.

Further, $500,000 over two years will be additionally provided to Screen Tasmania’s Screen Innovation Fund.

The Screen Innovation Fund was established by our Government in 2018 to drive the production of strategically important film and television projects in Tasmania by leveraging investment from outside the state. Screen Production creates local jobs and drives expenditure in hospitality, tourism, skilled crew and creatives, whilst delivering content to be sold and shown around the world.

With most film locations under significant COVID pressure, Tasmania is poised to be a safe production ‘bubble’ for worldwide producers.

This new $4 million in funding reinforces that our Government remains committed to the cultural and creative sector to ensure we regain the economic, cultural and community benefit that it delivers for all Tasmanians.