A Senate Inquiry into Commonwealth Arts Funding has been called by the Australian Labor Party, Australian Greens, and Senate cross benchers. We would ask each of our members to write an individual submission outlining the impact of the recent budget decisions on our sector – the submission deadline is Friday 17 July 2015 and all the information can be found here.

The Government is required to respond within 3 months of presentation of the Senate Inquiry Report outlining what actions, if any, it proposes to take in response to the report’s recommendations.

TNV will be preparing a submission to the Senate Inquiry on behalf of our financial members. In the lead up, we need members to fill out this survey before Thursday 2 July to provide us with data we can use for advocacy.

It is also very important that members write their own submission. Created by co-convenor of Arts Peak Tamara Winikoff, this toolkit is a great resource for having your voice heard. We encourage you to mention the direct impact the budget allocation is having on you – are you already making changes to future work such as the number of artists involved, or reconsidering tours? Evidence will help to paint a powerful picture. Unless you request it, submissions will be made public, so get creative!

Free the Arts has organised an arts sector gathering on Thursday 2nd July in Sydney open to everyone to talk about the big arts issues and how to go forward – RSVP here.

USEFUL LINKS
TNV recommends reading the following links as you prepare your submissions to both State and Federal governments:

– Some tips on how to write a letter to your MP from #FreeTheArts

– Some facts, figures, more info and notes from the #FreeTheArts Canberra delegation meeting.

– A sample letter from the team at National Association of Visual Arts (NAVA).

– NAVA’s call to action covering facts, figures and how to take action.

– A few articles which give some solid opinions and information: The Monthly, The Saturday Paper and Real Time Arts.

– Regional Arts Victoria’s regional arts advocacy toolkit.

– A central hub for information and conversation about the 2015 Arts Budget impact, sector actions, media coverage and other related matters.

– We also encourage you to continue creative and artistic responses. Check out this brilliant example.

If you need any further information or assistance, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us.