Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

[Updated 2 July: NPEA program details.] A Senate Inquiry has been established to examine the impact of the 2014 and 2015 Commonwealth Budget decisions on the Arts, and the suitability and appropriateness of the establishment of a National Programme for Excellence in the Arts. Submissions to this inquiry need to be lodged by Friday 17 July.

There has been much discussion and media coverage of the issues surrounding the establishment of the NPEA, and, with the shifting of $105 million from the Australia Council budget to the Ministry for the Arts, the resulting impact on the Australia Council's support of small to medium-sized arts organisations and individual artists.

The Ministry for the Arts has just released draft guidelines for the NPEA program and is calling for feedback by the end of July. The Australia Council is likely to be responding about its funding categories shortly. As additional detail comes available, there may be more clarity on the potential impacts across the sector, AMC encourages members to express their views in a submission to the Senate Inquiry, so that a broad range of perspectives can be considered.

Inquiry terms of reference and contact information can be found on the Parliament of Australia website (see also below). You could address all of the terms of reference listed, or choose just one or two that you have some experience with. A submission could include:

• your credentials (as an independent artist or other arts professional, representative of an organisation, audience member, arts supporter, arts educator, etc.)
• comments you want to make about the Commonwealth Government's budget decisions in 2014 and 2015 - for a summary, see for instance the National Association for the Visual Arts website and this news article on Resonate.
• the rationale for your views
• the potential impact of these budget decisions on the arts and/or your role in the arts
• your experience in/of the arts.

You can read examples of the submissions already made on the Parliament of Australia website.

Submissions should be addressed to Committee Secretary; Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee either by mail (PO Box 6100; Parliament House; Canberra ACT 26000) or email legcon.sen@aph.gov.au

You can ask to speak at or attend the Senate Inquiry Committee public hearings. The dates and locations for these hearings will be confirmed shortly. Committee contact numbers are: phone +61 2 6277 3560 and fax +61 2 6277 5794.

The Committee reporting date is 15 September 2015.

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Inquiry Terms of Reference

On the 16 June 2015 the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report:

a. the impact of the 2014 and 2015 Commonwealth Budget decisions on the Arts; and

b. the suitability and appropriateness of the establishment of a National Programme for Excellence in the Arts, to be administered by the Ministry for the Arts, with particular reference to:

i. the effect on funding arrangements for:

A. small to medium arts organisations,
B. individual artists,
C. young and emerging artists,
D. the Australia Council,
E. private sector funding of the arts, and
F. state and territory programs of support to the arts,

ii. protection of freedom of artistic expression and prevention of political influence,

iii. access to a diversity of quality arts and cultural experiences,

iv. the funding criteria and implementation processes to be applied to the program,

v. implications of any duplication of administration and resourcing, and

vi. any related matter.