Page 862 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 March 2016

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video


Project funding is offered once a year and presents the ACT community with the opportunity for one-off arts activities. Out-of-round funding supports individual ACT artists who undertake significant interstate or overseas arts development opportunities. In addition, the ACT government offers an annual ACT book of the year award for excellence in literature valued at $15,000. There are also arts residencies for ACT-based arts and non-arts organisations to offer interstate or international artists a residency experience in the ACT.

There is also Llewellyn Hall funding. Llewellyn Hall is a key musical facility with high quality acoustics, which you have enjoyed, Madam Speaker, as I have, with large stage and back stage amenities, seating 1,440 patrons. That funding is offered annually and enables ACT arts organisations affordable access to the hall for concert performances.

We also support the fringe festival, which is held in conjunction with the National Multicultural Festival, to engage a diverse range of performers.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Burch.

MS BURCH: Minister, what arts organisations have benefited from these grants in the past?

DR BOURKE: A large number and a broad range of arts organisations have benefited from funding over many years in the ACT. These include key arts organisations such as the ACT Writers Centre, Gorman House Arts Centre, Belconnen Arts Centre, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra Glassworks, Canberra Potters Society, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Youth Theatre, Craft ACT, Megalo Access Arts, Music for Canberra, PhotoAccess, QL2 centre for youth dance, Strathnairn Arts Association, Street Theatre, Tuggeranong community arts association and Warehouse Circus. These key arts organisations not only provide access and engagement opportunities for the ACT community to view a range of performances, exhibitions and events but also nurture, develop and support our artists and arts workers with artistic and career development.

A great recent success story has been Craft ACT. Through its strong vision and pursuit of innovation in programming, Craft ACT attracted the highly successful ceramics triennale conference Stepping up to the ACT in 2015 for the first time, and has staged the groundbreaking DESIGN Canberra festival since 2014. Stepping up is Australia’s premier showcase for ceramics through three days of conference presentations, keynote talks, panel discussions, individual artist’s presentations and exhibitions. DESIGN Canberra connects leaders in arts, business, education, government and research, encouraging those relationships between sectors and providing an important crossover space where cutting-edge innovation is explored. DESIGN Canberra enables local, interstate and international visitors to engage in inspiring public events, exhibitions and activities spanning across the ACT.

Craft ACT was successful in attracting significant sponsorship for the festival, and over time the festival has established itself as an important event for design and signalled its potential to become a major ongoing event for Australia. (Time expired.)


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video