Live Performance Australia (LPA) has lodged its submission for the next National Cultural Policy, calling for arts and culture to be recognised as core to Australian identity, economic prosperity and social wellbeing.
The peak body for Australia’s live arts and entertainment industry has argued that the live sector has been shortchanged compared to its screen counterparts and called for a 40 per cent offset or rebate on production costs, applicable to both commercial and not-for-profit organisations.
“The production incentive is a proven model to drive investment and creative ambition. It is activity-driven, and modelling shows a 40 per cent offset or rebate on production costs would be revenue-positive for government,” LPA CEO Eric Lassen said.
“We provide various incentives at the federal and state level for screen and digital games, but nothing comparable for live performance which is a key driver of economic activity and our cultural and creative vibrancy.
“Live theatre generates over $4 billion turnover across the economy, over $2 billion in Gross Value Added and supports over 30,000 jobs. Every dollar spent by a theatre organisation has an economy-wide spillover effect of more than $4.”
The submission also puts arts education firmly on the agenda, with LPA proposing a National Arts Education Strategy to embed the arts into the curriculum from early childhood through to tertiary level. The strategy would aim to reverse declining enrolments in arts subjects, build critical and creative thinking skills, and open up clearer career pathways — a pipeline issue the screen industry has long grappled with too.
On funding, LPA is calling for a strategic uplift to Creative Australia across the National Performing Arts Partnership Framework, small to medium organisations, contemporary music, and priority areas, including children and young audiences and arts festivals.
Lassen said the next policy must be more ambitious than its predecessor. “The next cultural policy needs to build on those foundations with some bigger and bolder ideas that tackle the systemic challenges and take up the opportunity to more fully realise Australia’s cultural and creative potential,” he added.
LPA’s full submission is available here.