Silence of the majors divides arts sector

The Australia Council Budget cuts have carved a rift between major arts organisations and their smaller colleagues, who are protesting the majors' compliance with the new regime.
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Protestors are encouraged to dress in ghost costume and carry placards to make a witty, non-confrontational statement. Image: supplied

Artists from the small-to-medium sector are agitating for the sector to stand up against the majors in a protest under the banner of the ​Free the Arts campaign.

A campaign by ArtsPeak this week succeeded in prompting a Senate inquiry into changes announced in the Federal Budget on 12 May 2015. The move will result in the Australia Council losing $104 million over four years and remove the protections of peer review and arms-length decision making.

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Madeleine Dore
About the Author
Madeleine Dore is a freelance writer and founder of Extraordinary Routines, an interview project exploring the intersection between creativity and imperfection. She is the previous Deputy Editor at ArtsHub. Follow her on Twitter at @RoutineCurator