Lessons for SA from Victoria's "Creative State"

Thursday, May 5 was a day of exciting ideas and hope for arts and culture in Victoria. At a Theatre Network Australia forum, the State Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley, confirmed $115 million in funding to the sector over three years, and announced a further $7.25m. The context is different – and grimmer – in South Australia. But aspects of Victoria’s Creative State strategy are useful to consider.

Firstly, while money is important, so is appreciation. The practitioners who gathered in the Melbourne Arts Centre’s beautiful Pavilion Room felt taken seriously and invited to the policy table. The minister spoke candidly about what the Victorian government is doing to support arts and culture in light of harsh cuts at the federal level. It makes a big difference to hear the sector discussed in a nuanced way.

Secondly, the minister called for debate about creative industries as a concept, recognising that blithe use of the term ‘industries’ reduces arts and culture to dollars and cents. He indicated his government had learnt from the mistakes creative industries proselytizers had made in the past: “This is a program that… gives organisations the freedom to focus on what they do best – creating and presenting art and cultural programs… Creative State recognises all of these values and takes a holistic approach that spans the cultural, social and economic capacity of the creative industries.”...