CORONAVIRUS — CULTURE AND THE ARTS SECTOR —
RECOVERY
899. Mr
D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to supporting
businesses and workers in WA's arts sector as the economy
recovers from the impacts of COVID-19.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the government is providing producers and
event organisers with the certainty they need to start touring and putting on
performances again across the state?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how this
support will help drive more economic activity in Western Australia?
Mr D.A.
TEMPLEMAN replied:
I thank the member for Bunbury for
his question, which I am very pleased to answer.
(1)–(2) As
members will be very aware, Western Australia is now one of the safest places
on the earth. It is safe because of the leadership of the Premier and the
government of Western Australia and the tremendous contribution and commitment
by the people of Western Australia to ensure that we keep all our families
safe. Of course, that is why we are now at over 100 days of zero community
spread. Our economy is now the envy of other states and territories, and indeed
the envy of other nations. Of course, we recognise that the cautious approach
that has been taken—always focusing on the health and safety of our
citizens—has worked and it has worked so well.
Of course, we know that when COVID-19
hit, those in the entertainment industry—in events and in performance
et cetera—were impacted very severely. But they are back on the road
now because this government has made sure
that, through its $76 million commitment through the recovery package, it has a
whole range of programs and initiatives that are aimed at ensuring that we can
get our performers back on stage and get our musicians back into performance
venues. We can get our festival organisers and people who are able to present
high-quality community events back out there delivering high-quality
opportunities to communities throughout Western Australia—and we are
doing it because we have been listening very closely to the sector. I am very
pleased that part of our commitment includes the getting the show back on the
road program, which is aimed to assist performance venues through an underwriting
process. This new shared risk program allows a benchmark to be reached whereby
there is support and underwriting support to share risk. This means that
producers, touring companies, our wonderful performing arts entities such as
the Western Australian Ballet, Western Australian Opera, West Australian
Symphony Orchestra and our community theatres, and all those organisers and
entrepreneurs, can have some surety that the getting the show back on the road
program can support them at the box office. In the regions, for example, member
for Bunbury, we will now be able to see touring programs restart. We will see
touring opportunities—private, state-based and state-funded—being
able to get back out into the regions. We know that is very important for our
regional performing arts venues because many of them had to close and stay
closed during the COVID-19 crisis, but now there is a surety that they can
commence activity.
The getting the show back on the road
program has been applauded by other states and territories. When it was
announced as part of our recovery package, a number of other states and
territories noted this initiative by the McGowan government. It demonstrates
this government's commitment to the creative industries of Western Australia;
to our artists, artisans, dancers and performers; and to those people who are
involved in putting together entertainment opportunities, festivals and events.
All those people are important to our economy, but they are also very important
people in our social dividend that deliver high-quality experiences in Western Australia.
We live in the safest place in the world. We recognise that and we are
cautiously making sure that we move forward, but we also recognise that people
in the creative industries are an essential part of our economy and our social
fabric and we are supporting them on the ground
with such initiatives. I am very pleased and very proud of our initiatives, and
I am very pleased that the sector has been listened to very carefully
and closely. The people in that sector are always engaged. I salute them
because they are a very important part of our recovery from COVID-19.