Editorial: The Art of Subsidy / The Subsidy of Art

In April 2020, when Australia went into its first series of lockdowns in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly half of the nation’s arts workers were plunged into forced redundancy virtually overnight (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2020). As the virus continued to spread throughout the months that followed, lockdowns across the country were repeatedly extended. In a rare moment of unity, it seemed as though the whole
spectrum of the arts sector—commercial, independent, and subsidised alike—was at a stand-still; each equally affected by prolonged venue closures, widespread event cancellations, and ever-shifting health restrictions (Fairley 2020).