Art for art’s sake

In lounge rooms all over the world, children (and parents) can be found enjoying the simple joys of Bluey.

The TV show has become a defining success story for Australia’s arts sector, demonstrating the global potential of locally produced content.

Global successes like Bluey do not emerge out of nowhere but are nurtured by government policies that help develop our arts sector. 

We are justifiably proud when our creative works shape international views of Australia.

But screen content like Bluey does not emerge out of nowhere; it is nurtured by government policies that help develop our arts sector.

Supporting Australian stories

The National Cultural Policy (NCP) is the Australian federal government’s plan for supporting arts and culture.

It sets out what the government will spend on the arts, determining who gets support and which cultural projects are prioritised.

It’s the creation and distribution of the Australian books we read, films we watch, digital games, media and music we listen to.

The NCP is also all of the events we enjoy, like festivals, visiting museums and galleries (and the art that hangs on their walls), ballet, theatre, musicals and all of the writing and music composition that goes into them.

The Policy also covers practical actions like funding arts organisations and artists, protecting Indigenous arts knowledge and helping to shape sector pay and conditions.

But it also contributes to our national identity, supporting artists who tell Australian stories.

Government policy aims to connect art to audiences, promote diverse voices, foster social cohesion and enhance wellbeing through greater access to art for all.

Australia’s Delta Goodrem came fourth in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. 

Policies like the NCP are more than words on paper. They act as a roadmap for the cultural sector, signalling national priorities, guiding public investment and intersecting with other areas like education and health.

Importantly, policy translates into real decisions – dollars awarded, guidelines established or choices not made.

Actions (or inaction) by elected officials and their representatives at Creative Australia have a direct impact on artists, communities and cultural life across the country.

A roadmap for our cultural sector

In 2023, the Prime Minister Albanese launched Revive, which promised to renew a sector decimated by COVID-19 lockdowns.

Revive was a significant shift in arts policy.

For the first time, it positioned artists as workers and, as we noted at the time, Tony Burke’s dual role as Employment and Workplace Relations and Arts Minister offered the opportunity to address some of the sector’s industrial issues.

The government claims that 85 per cent of Revive’s 2023 key platforms are complete.

These include the launch of Creative Workplaces, which aims to address workforce issues of pay, safety and welfare, and funding increases to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts practice.

It also outlines the creation of Writing Australia and Music Australia, legislation to establish requirements for Australian content on streaming services like Netflix, and a change from three-year to five-year funding terms for the ABC and SBS.

However, the current mood across the arts sector is grim.

A recent report by the Australia Institute shows that Australia-wide employment has grown by 13 per cent since 2020, but employment in the arts is only just returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Australia-wide employment has grown by 13 per cent since 2020, but employment in the arts is only just returning to pre-pandemic levels. 

In March, the Office for the Arts launched the consultation process to craft the next five-year iteration of Revive, inviting the public to help shape the future of the cultural sector.

Now is the time to ask, what has changed and what’s next?

Areas like the screen sector highlight significant skills shortages impacting our ability to produce the high-quality content we are known for.

We are missing the opportunity to cultivate more homegrown stories on screen, creating jobs, enhancing skills and showcasing our expertise worldwide.

While Australians increasingly value the role arts and culture play in society and enjoy participating in the arts, those employed in the sector are struggling.

Arts workers earn on average AU$63,031, nearly AU$ 40,000 lower than professionals in other industries.

Although Revive has a long list of accomplishments, the reality is that government arts funding, across all levels of government, has declined in real terms.

While in last week’s budget, AU$1.1 billion was allocated to the arts, much of this is tied to national collecting institutions and investment in cultural infrastructure projects across the country.

In fact, some AU$345.1m in 2023-24, goes to infrastructure.

While recognising the important role our magnificent cultural icons hold – like the Sydney Opera House – a sustainable arts sector requires investment in people along with buildings.

Australia’s population grew by 27 per cent between 2007-08 and 2023-24, while cultural expenditure increased by only 19 per cent. Federal expenditure on arts and culture in 2023-34 was AU$114 per person, the lowest on record.

Nick Mitzevich (Director, NGA), Ellie Buttrose, Jodie Haydon, Adrian Collette (CEO Creative Australia), Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Archie Moore, Minister for the Arts The Hon Tony Burke MP and Special Envoy for the Arts Susan Templeman MP standing in front of Family Tree by Archie Moore on display at the National Gallery of Australia. 

Creating a thriving arts industry

The new iteration of Revive is an opportunity to commit to a well-supported, future-oriented cultural ecosystem grounded in people’s creativity and leadership.

A thriving arts ecosystem requires investment in people.

Artistic small businesses, from artist-run galleries to independent theatre, are where we nurture the next global arts superstars, like Golden Lion-award-winning artists Archie Moore or Back to Back Theatre.

Caitlin Dullard, CEO of LaMama Theatre, told us that they see “the independent small-to-medium sector as essential cultural infrastructure.”

Boosting multiyear operational funding for the small-to-medium sector would reduce organisational reliance on short-term grants, providing stability and offering more secure work for those making art.

Additionally, strong support for innovation in storytelling is crucial, along with frameworks that safeguard artists’ works and rights.

Dullard notes, “The SME sector is the engine room of Australia’s arts ecology, yet it continues to operate with limited resources and ongoing precarity.

“Without structural reform – including increased investment, multi-year operational funding, and a dedicated Small-to-Medium Arts Sustainability Fund – this pipeline is at risk.”

Generative artificial intelligence is transforming all aspects of society

Increasing arts participation through education, including dedicated funding for young people and fostering long-term partnerships between schools, artists, and arts organisations, will help build skills like critical thinking, engagement, and literacy, which are vital in the age of AI.

At the tertiary level, the controversial Job-Ready Graduate Scheme is burdening arts students with long-term debt and disproportionately affects Indigenous students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

To create the artists and arts workers of the future, access to arts education must be available to all, not just those who can afford it.

Boosting Australia’s cultural diplomacy

Finally, while Australia plans to spend AU $425 billion on defence over the next decade, an investment in cultural diplomacy would strengthen our soft power.

Australian cultural diplomacy has long been underfunded, and boosting initiatives like the International Engagement Fund would help artists build international connections in ways that enhance mutually beneficial international partnerships.

There have also been long-standing calls to establish a dedicated cultural institution, like Germany’s Goethe Institute or the Alliance Francaise.

Creating an Australian cultural institute would ensure our international reputation is sustained and reflects the diversity of contemporary Australia.

The arts are more than an economic contributor; they bring joy to all and are essential to a functioning, democratic and equitable society.

We’ve seen what Revive can achieve, but more work is needed to develop a resilient and vibrant arts and cultural sector.

Your voice can be a part of the next iteration of Revive – have your say by 24 May 2026.

This article was written by Dr Kim Goodwin and Dr Fann Goh of the University of Melbourne. It was published by Pursuit.