On Monday (12 July) Creative Victoria released the state’s next four-year arts strategy backed by a $288 million budget to support the creative workforce.
While development of Creative State 2025 predates the current COVID-19 reality, the strategy identifies longstanding vulnerabilities in the creative sector as a core industry weakness that need to be addressed. Such issues include high casualisation, employment uncertainty, increased business risks, disproportionate impacts for marginalised groups and concerns for public safety.
The strategy, which builds on the original Creative State strategy, (2016-2020), also recognises the impact of the pandemic and prioritises facilitated recovery for creative professionals in order to reinforce Victoria’s creative future.
‘At a time when the global creative community continues to face uncertainty and challenge, this strategy aims to engender stability, create opportunity and stimulate growth … It focuses on growing jobs and skills and on securing Victoria’s reputation as a global cultural destination and bold creative leader,’ said Minister for Creative Industries, The Hon Danny Pearson MP.
Developed in consultation with Victoria’s creative community, the strategy comprises 25 actions that aim to; grow jobs and open up career pathways, support innovative creative products and experiences, build industry stability and foster growth, ensure equitable access to creative jobs and experiences, and open new markets.
‘This strategy is a commitment to stabilising and reinvigorating our creative economy, securing jobs, and putting creativity at the heart of Victoria’s recovery and prosperity,’ the Minister said at Monday’s policy launch.
‘With 25 actions and $288 million dollars in new funding, this strategy comes at a time when our creative workers need and deserve a clear, visible and long-term commitment from government.’
Referencing the impact of the pandemic on the state’s creative industries, Pearson noted: ‘This is not just a recovery strategy – it is a four-year-plan to support the sector [and] to harness current and future opportunities.’
FIRST PEOPLE’S FOCUS
Creative State 2025 was co-launched by Pearson and representatives of the First Peoples Directions Circle, whose participation in the policy’s development has ensured that self-determination for First Peoples is embedded into its every facet. These principles will guide Creative Victoria’s commitment to supporting First Peoples creatives and ensuring a safe working environment for cultural workers.
Creative State 2025 aims to maximise opportunities for First Peoples in the creative industries, including employing more First Peoples at Creative Victoria and mandatory First Peoples cultural awareness training for all Creative Victoria staff.
The strategy announced a new annual First Peoples Creative Industries Forum and the development of a First Peoples Cultural Hub. In addition, a new biennial fair of Victorian First Peoples Art and Design will be established to promote and build the market for cultural products in Australia and overseas.
NEW FUNDING AND INVESTMENTS
Two new funding programs, the Creative Enterprises Program and the Creative Ventures Program, mark the first implementation of Creative State 2025.
The Creative Enterprises Program provides four-year funding for medium to large NGOs and smaller creative organisations. The investment encourages sustainable strategies, greater diversity, and employment opportunities for a more equitable creative sector.
The funding amount starts at $100,000 per annum for four years, however, applicants must reach an average annual income of $200,000 minimum from the last three years.
The Creative Ventures Program encompasses creative entities under 10 staff across all art forms with a two-year funding of $70,000-100,000 per year. First Peoples creative entities, Deaf and Disabled creative entities and general applications make up the three separate streams of assessment.
First round applications for both programs will open on 12 August 2021.
Building on the momentum of increased global demand for screen content, new investments will also be introduced through VICSCREEN to support local companies and creatives as well as attract new screen productions to Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Other initiatives include revitalising the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) – scheduled for 5-22 August this year – and a new Creators Lab for professional development across all screens.
SUSTAINABLE & ACCESSIBLE CREATIVE CAREERS
The strategy also includes traineeships and internships at Victoria’s cultural institutions, development opportunities for young leaders, and strengthening the availability of paid opportunities at state-owned cultural agencies, in order to strengthen career opportunities in the creative industries.
Arts Centre Melbourne’s Tech Connect program, which increases access to training hubs and accredited programs in Victoria’s regional performing arts venues, is one such example.
Dedicated funding will be introduced for creatives who are Deaf or disabled alongside a partnership with Arts Access Victoria to develop alternative models of support.
‘This strategy is a commitment to stabilising and reinvigorating our creative economy, securing jobs, and putting creativity at the heart of Victoria’s recovery and prosperity.’
Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson
The level of accessibility, diversity, and inclusiveness across all of Creative Victoria’s business activities will be reviewed. Internal targets and standards in areas of grant applications and assessment, events, and recruitment will be developed to measure and monitor this progress.
Expanding beyond the metropolitan area, the strategy aims to enhance regional Victoria’s creative infrastructure through new exhibition spaces, facilitating outer-metropolitan touring, and upgrading and investing in existing creative infrastructure including Benalla Art Gallery, Castlemaine Goods Shed, Geelong Arts Centre and more.
Read: How artists with disability are coping with COVID-19
STRENGTHENING VICTORIA
Positioning Victoria at the forefront of artistic innovation, Creative State 2025 outlines actions to encourage creative experimentation and innovative work that can benefit the state as a whole.
Economic opportunities based upon alternative models have been introduced by creatives throughout the pandemic. Creative Victoria aims to strengthen these areas as Victorian creative industries compete for a bigger market.
The Building Audiences Program supports new marketing projects to build demand, audiences and markets while Victoria’s trade events such as the Australian Performing Arts Market and Melbourne International Games Week are expected to expand to international markets.
Victoria’s four UNESCO-recognised creative cities – Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Melbourne – will engage in networking and collaboration to create business opportunities for the creative industry and drive cultural tourism.
‘All Victorians stand to benefit from a strong creative economy and a rich cultural life, and that’s why this government invests in and champions our creative industries,’ said Minister Pearson.
‘At the core of the Creative Industries portfolio is the investigation and expression of human imagination. And this is why the Andrews Labour Government is so committed to the creative industries. The power of imagination lives at the core of this government. We believe in a better society, a fairer society, a society that offers opportunity for everyone, not just the privileged.
‘Woven through this strategy, Creative State 2025, are those values. It offers a way to a richer and fairer society through the promise and reward of art and all that the creative sector offers,’ Pearson said.
