CORONAVIRUS —
ARTS SECTOR
713. Hon TIM CLIFFORD to the Leader of the House representing the
Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I refer to the disastrous impact
COVID-19 has had on the Western Australian arts sector.
(1) Will the
minister please detail what support the McGowan government has given to the
arts sector during this pandemic and please include relevant costs?
(2) Will the
McGowan government provide further support to the struggling sector in the next
six months; and, if so, please detail?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The state
government has provided $23.4 million for culture and the arts in Western Australia.
This includes $13 million from the Lotterywest COVID-19 $159 million relief
fund; $1 million through the regional arts resilience grant program
administered by Regional Arts WA to support regionally-based practising
artists, cultural practitioners and arts and cultural organisations; over $3 million
in rent relief in the form of waived rental payments for culture and the arts
small businesses and not-for-profit groups in government-owned buildings for
six months through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries; $2.5 million through the Screenwest
screen industry sustainability package; $1.5 million through targeted
acquisition from Aboriginal art centres and independent artists, and a state
art collection archive, developed by the Art Gallery of Western Australia's
board and the Art Gallery's foundation; and $2.4 million through the ''Under
15k'' quick response program for individual artists or practitioners
through the department—this includes $500 000 towards the contemporary
music fund. There has been no increase in costs to deliver these programs.
(2) Yes. Over the
next six months, the state government will continue to deliver the ''Under
15k'' grants program, which offers artists up to $15 000 to undertake a range
of activities, has a turnaround time of 25 business
days, and is open all year round; reinstate the ''15k Plus''
round, which is capped at $60 000 for one-off projects or a program of
activity; continue to deliver the state's regional film fund with a further
$16 million over the next four years; and continue to deliver the $20 million
regional arts and cultural investment program.