Contemporary Music In Australia – What Needs To Be Done At The Federal Level
The contemporary music sector has three priority areas for the Australian Government.
1. For the government to deliver on the outstanding commitments made to Australian musicians at the last two elections. Walk the talk.
2. A more equitable distribution of the music budget and priorities. 3. Policy development across the whole of government.
Outstanding Election Commitments To The Contemporary Music Sector
The contemporary music sector needs the government to deliver on the outstanding commitments made to Australian musicians at the last two elections.
1. Strategic Contemporary Music Industry Plan (Election promise 2007 / 2010).
! i. Establish the Australian Contemporary Music Industry Advisory Council. Including ! DPMC Arts Office, Australia Council, State arts agencies, APRA, AMIN state ! associations, ARIA, AMA – to develop a coordinated investment strategy.
! ii. The creation of a National Live Music Coordinator position.
! iii. Assist State and Territories in reducing regulatory barriers to live performance.
2. Social Security and the Arts policy – Art Start (Election promise 2007).
3. Amend the Migration Regulations 1994 for the Temporary Entertainment Visa to require Australian supports for all international acts (Election promise in 2007).
4. Music Education In The National Curriculum.
Australia Council or European Council? A More Equitable Distribution Of The Music Budget
Australian taxpayers fund programs to support Australian musicians at the federal level through the Australia Council. Lets have a look at where the money goes.
- Opera and Orchestra – $80 Million.
- The Music Board of the Australia Council – $5.3 Million (which includes contemporary music as well as new classical repertoire).
Put simply, contemporary music initiatives lose out every time at the state and federal level as arts budgets are formulated. Programs to support the development of the music of living Australians must be given a better deal from the music budget.
In this context, we also note that the Australian Defence Force spends over $50 Million on 14 bands and a school of music, Five times the Music Board budget.
Policy Engagement Across The Whole Of Government.
The Australian Government must do more than just handing out grants to the usual suspects and think more broadly about how an effective music policy should work.
Engagement and representation for creative Australians with regard to Communications, Tax and Superannuation, Trade and Export and Education policy are crucial if we are serious about making a difference.
Music Education In The National Curriculum.
We need this government to deliver on a commitment to the provision of an arts education including music for all Australian school students (Election promise 2007).
Contemporary Music In Australia – What Needs To Be Done At The Federal Level
Review Of The Australia Council
In December 2011 Arts Minister Simon Crean announced a full review of the Australia Council.
With no public hearings or submissions, advice that the report will not be released publicly, and a review team with a perceived to have a conflict of interest, this is looking most untidy.
The review must be made publicly available.
An Australian Contemporary Live Music TV Show
ABC TV has 4 digital channels, SBS has digital tv channels. There must be room for a prime time live music show on one of them.
ABC3 currently closes at 9pm. 9pm-6am Aussie content please. This is undeveloped cultural real estate that should be made available for creative Australians.
Australian Supports For All International Touring Acts
Amend the Migration Regulations 1994 for the Temporary Entertainment Visa to require Australian supports for all international acts.
Every international act that tours Australia should have a local act hitch their wagon to the tour. This was a promise from the 2007 election and from 2010.
Australians voted for this. Do it please.
Communications and Digital Culture
Australian local content thresholds are already lower than international standards, and as part of the Convergence Review of the communications environment, local content quotas are being considered. It is not in the interests of Australian musicians to remove these requirements.
If content quotas that supported the great contributions of Australian contemporary music culture in the past are to be removed, will recording grants be introduced?
Tax
Investment incentives / foundations and philanthropy – Negotiate investment and tax incentives for the music sector.
Increase the family tax benefit to allow parents to claim $500 + p/child p/a on private tuition in music and the arts . To support participation, literacy and jobs prior to the introduction of music in the national curriculum.
Superannuation schemes and arrangements for artists and low income earners. – look at incentives and tax rates for low earners making additional contributions to retirement savings.
Recording Grants
Australia does not have a program to provide financial support to assist Australian artists and bands to produce broadcast-ready commercial products for radio and export. New Zealand spends as much as the entire music board of the Australia Council budget on recording grants for NZ artists for example.
National Broadband Network
What percentage of the $35.9 Billion outlay is to be spent on developing local content?
There are jobs for technicians and accountants. Jobs of musicians and content creators must be supported too.
Contemporary Music In Australia – What Needs To Be Done At The Federal Level A Commitment To Research
Secure investment in research and statistics for improving data relating to the contemporary music industry to further inform policy.