Protestors at the Melbourne #FreeTheArts rally. Photo by Richard Watts
Hundreds of artists gathered in capital cities and regional centres last Friday to demonstrate their concerns over the decision by Federal Minister for the Arts George Brandis to cut $104.8 million over four years from the Australia Council’s budget.
The reallocated funding will be used to establish a new National Programme for Excellence within the Ministry for the Arts, while the reduced budget available to the Australia Council has already resulted in the shock axing of numerous funding programs and initiatives.
