Question - Arts

For the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 financial years, (i) what was the total amount of funding that was applied for by arts centres and organisations under the budget, (ii) what was the total amount that was granted under those budgets, (iii) how was the total funding pool decided, and were arts centres and organisations consulted and (iv) did ArtsACT encourage arts centres and organisations to apply for the funding that they needed.
 

The ACT Organisation Investment Program Framework and Guidelines were released on 28 July 2022. The Program provides the stability of multiyear funding through an open and competitive grant process to arts organisations that meet the Canberra: Australia’s Arts Capital – a statement of ambition for the Arts three strategies. Organisations are funded through the Program on a calendar year basis from the Arts Fund budget. Applications closed on 9 September 2022 seeking funding from 1 January 2023.

(i) As part of the 2022-23 Budget, the ACT Government announced that the ACT Arts Fund will be boosted by $3.070 million over four years, including $720,000 indexed and ongoing from 2025-26 for ACT arts organisations to provide programs, services, expertise and infrastructure to support and develop the arts and engage with the local community. With this increase, over $7.9 million per year will be provided to Canberra’s arts organisations, effectively a ten per cent increase. This funding would enable new arts organisation entrants that are meeting community needs to be able to be funded for the first time in many years.

With the introduction of the new Arts Organisation Investment Program, the Government took the opportunity to reshape and simplify the funding arrangements for arts organisations, by combining all ongoing funding being provided to organisations. This included Key Arts Organisations, Program, Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, Community Outreach and ongoing budget initiatives like Pop-Ups.

This resulted in the combined funding made available to arts organisations being over $9 million per year rather than the previously announced total of $7.9 million. This also enabled organisation to apply for one funding amount rather than seeking funding from several categories, as in the past.

32 eligible applications were received under the three streams: Arts Centre Investment; Arts Organisation Investment; and Emerging Arts Organisation Investment. The total funding requested was $15.3 million in 2023, rising to $17.2 million in 2026. Several organisations requested an increase that was double or more of their current funding, with some up to five times more. 

(ii) For the 2023 calendar year, all organisations that applied and had received funding through the previous arts organisational funding round received an increase or remained at 2022 funding levels. Three new organisations were also funded.

In 2022-23, the total amount paid to arts organisations under the previous programs (six months for the period 1 July to 31 December 2022) and the Arts Organisation Investment Program (six months for the period 1 January to 30 June 2023) was $8,455,316. 

In 2023-24, the total amount to be paid in accordance with the respective Deeds of Grant under the Arts Organisation Investment Program is forecast at $8,967,000.

In addition, in the 2022-23 Budget, the Government has provided a further $275,000 per annum to Belconnen, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

(iii) The 32 eligible applications received were individually assessed against the criteria by artsACT officials and industry peers. A moderation process undertaken by artsACT considered all applications against the available funding, assessment comments and the arts landscape. This process resulted in 29 applications being recommended for 
multi-year funding for up to five years. The funding provided to the organisations can be found at www.arts.act.gov.au/funding/current-funding-recipients. 

Arts centres and organisations were not consulted on the total pool of funding made available, as Directorate budget allocations are a matter for Government. The internal budget allocations within the ACT Arts Fund are made to ensure support for an array of arts activity including community outreach, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural arts, ACT Book of the Year, project funding to artists and arts groups, and arts organisational funding. The below table shows the funding allocated through the ACT Arts Fund.

(iv) Following the 2022-23 Budget, organisations were advised that the total increase to the ACT Arts Fund for multi-year funding was $720,000 per annum. 

The Program framework and guidelines state that organisations are expected to operate within their capacity and resources, rather than delivering over ambitious programs and outcomes that risk staff wellbeing or organisational viability.

In discussions with organisations applying for the Arts Organisation Investment Program, artsACT advised organisations that, should choices need to be made, activities to improve the financial sustainability of the organisation and the appropriate payment of staff, artists and arts workers should be prioritised over increased programming. 

There is an expectation that the Arts Organisation Investment Program is only one funding source and that organisations should use the stability of multi-year funding to leverage other opportunities. The Program framework and guidelines require successful organisations to have a proactive, strategic approach to obtaining a diversity of income sources. Organisations managing arts facilities are expected to leverage revenue streams from the centre venues and facilities, while maintaining a balance of access for artists and the community.