Commission of Audit and Arts/Culture

The following items provide information on the potential impact of the Federal Government’s Commission of Audit recommendations on the arts and culture:

Katharine Viner, ‘Screen Australia faces 50% funding cut and merger, under audit proposal’ The Guardian, 1 May 2014

Major museums, such as the National Gallery, the National Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, … remain untouched. Read more

Deborah Stone, ‘Reduce arts funding, recommends Commission of Audit’, ArtsHub, 1 May 2014

The Federal Government’s Commission of Audit released today demands efficiencies from the arts sector. It wants some arts programs abolished, fewer grants and major organisations merged.

The Commission proposes merging the Australian Council, Screen Australia, Creative Partnerships Australia (identified by its previous name as the Australian Business Arts Foundation) and the Bundanon Trust.

It also wants a reduction in the number of grants Read more

Rod Lamberts and Will J Grant, ‘What about science in the Commission of Audit report?’ The Conversation, 1 May 2014

Jason Potts, ‘Commission of Audit and the Arts’, The Conversation, 2 May 2014

Arts and culture doesn’t feature prominently in the report. This is simply because even the most swingeing of cuts to arts or cultural funding – say, cutting everything completely – would barely touch the levels of savings required to restore Australia’s public finances. When you need to feed an entire village, hunting a few mice isn’t going to do it. Read more.

Chrish Pash, ‘Scientists Say Commission Of Audit Plans Are A Serious Infringement On The Independence Of Australia Research’ Business Insider Australia. May 2 2014