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ARTS FOR ALL VICTORIANS
Date: 1 May 2007
The Bracks Government has delivered $63 million to continue its commitment to provide arts and cultural opportunities for all Victorians, Arts Minister Lynne Kosky announced today.
Ms Kosky said the four-year boost would build on the outstanding program of arts activities and cultural infrastructure across the State.
"The 2007-08 State Budget delivers on our commitment to invest in the arts to ensure Victoria continues to be recognised as the cultural and artistic hub of Australia," she said.
"We promised to provide even more opportunities for Victorians - no matter where they live - to engage with the arts and enjoy a diverse range of activities, and we are delivering."
To boost Melbourne's international profile as a centre for books and ideas $9 million has been committed to the City of Literature.
"Victoria has more independent publishers than any other state, the highest proportion of bookshops and the greatest number of book, magazine and newspapers buyers," Ms Kosky said.
This funding will create Australia's first Centre for Books and Ideas at the State Library and will help develop a bid to have Melbourne designated as a 'City of Literature' by UNESCO." The initiative will also see the expansion of the Melbourne Writers' Festival, increasing its annual funding by $100,000 per year to raise its international profile.
Ms Kosky said $500,000 would continue the successful Victorian Premier's Literary Awards to ensure this prestigious annual award for Australian writing continued to recognise and reward local literary achievement.
Schools and communities will have increased participation in the arts with $7 million committed to Imagination Unlimited, supporting a combination of outreach activities, artist residencies in schools and online programs.
In addition, $7 million for the Creative Communities initiative will continue support for successful community-based and regional touring programs and provide increased funding for small to medium arts companies.
The program will also provide new support to the network of more than 28 Eisteddfods based in suburban and regional Victoria.
Suburban communities will also benefit from the $6.6 million Arts in the Suburbs program to widen the network of arts and cultural arts facilities in suburban Melbourne.
"Arts in the Suburbs will help upgrade arts and cultural facilities across Melbourne, giving more Victorians greater access to quality arts and cultural experiences," Ms Kosky said.
Ms Kosky said other arts initiatives included:
- $15 million to the Melbourne Recital Centre to support the initial equipment, programming and ongoing operations of this new cultural icon, to open in 2009;
- $5.9 million to ACMI towards the creation of the Museum of 100 Years of the Moving Image - an innovative permanent display exploring the history of film, TV, digital games and new media through exhibits and live and interactive experiences;
- $5 million for planning and design for the Southbank Arts Centre Precinct, to transform the area into a major pedestrian-friendly arts and cultural attraction;
- $2.9 million for the State's Major Performing Arts companies; and
- $1.6 million for the continuation of the Community History Grants program for communities to preserve, record and share their local histories.
The Minister for Innovation, John Brumby, said the State Budget would also deliver $2.8 million for the Next Generation Film Television and Digital Media strategy that will include:
- $1.6 million over the next two years to establish a Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Investment Fund via Film Victoria to help fund the production of locally developed and produced Victorian feature films to premier at MIFF;
- $800,000 over two years to develop a Melbourne International Film Festival Marketplace during the film festival and provide a new platform for networking, business and production development and the sale and distribution of local and international ideas and content; and
- $400,000 over two years from the Digital Media Fund to secure X/Media/Lab's internationally recognised digital media think-tank and production workshops. Leading digital media practitioners, promoters, producers and creators will take part in workshops to help improve their own digital media ideas and get their products to market.
"The Victorian Government has placed a significant emphasis on building critical mass to our film industry," Mr Brumby said.
"This includes successfully attracting major overseas productions to Victoria as well as continuing to foster our own local industries which will benefit from these initiatives."
Ms Kosky said in other State Budget decisions, $7.1 million had been allocated to the Victoria Rocks program - delivered jointly through Arts Victoria, the Office for Youth and Tourism Victoria - which provides grants for musicians and bands and support for Strategic Music Industry Partnerships to strengthen the sector.
"The 2007-08 State Budget provides for programs, developments and capital works that ensure all Victorians have increased opportunities to enjoy the arts - in their own community - across regional Victoria and suburban Melbourne," Ms Kosky said.
Download the fact sheets here:
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| 1. Asset Funding |
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| 2. Output Funding |
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