Labor’s arts cuts put Melbourne’s cultural heart at risk

Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia. It’s one of the many reasons people love living here.

And the creative industries employ around one in 10 working Victorians.

But all of that is at risk because the Allan Labor Government has recently delivered devastating funding cuts to some of our most important arts institutions

In December, Writers Victoria learned that its four-year funding of $600,000 would be cut to zero – a 100 per cent cut. If this stands, Victoria will become the only state in Australia without a peak writers’ body – an extraordinary step backwards for a UNESCO City of Literature.

Abbotsford Convent, Musica Viva Australia and the Centre for Contemporary Photography have had their funding from the state government slashed as well.

Carlton’s beloved La Mama Theatre – where artists like Cate Blanchett began their careers – has had its guaranteed funding essentially cut in half. Its future is now only guaranteed for two years instead of the four it has traditionally relied upon.

These cuts make it very clear that the Allan Labor Government is simply not prioritising the arts.

This is a government that spent $350 million for luxury corporate box upgrades at the Grand Prix, and put up an extra $1 billion for private prisons, but won’t provide a tiny fraction of that for the arts.

Arts and culture enrich our lives and fuel our economy. They are part of what makes Melbourne, Melbourne.

We cannot let arts and culture in Melbourne die under Labor. My Greens colleagues and I are fighting to reverse these cuts because we know how important artists, writers, performers and musicians are to all our lives.

If you’d like some information on how you can help protect Melbourne’s arts and culture institutions, get in touch with me at [email protected] •