arts

In tough times we turn to Arts and Culture. We embrace our community, we share our stories and create opportunities to come together. But for 4.7 million young people growing up in Australia right now, a different stage is being set. Help us send a message to the Federal Government that the arts are important to the lives of all young Australians.  In the midst of these uncertain times, The Australia Council for the Arts has defunded five of Australia’s biggest youth theatre companies. This is the latest in an ongoing pattern - in the past 10 years more than 25 youth arts companies have had their government funding taken away. These five companies, the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), Barking Gecko Theatre, Polyglot Theatre, Shopfront Arts Co-op and St Martins Youth Arts, work directly with hundreds of thousands of Australians every year. That’s fewer stories for and about our young people, fewer places for them to come together to experience, to imagine, to problem solve and create. Fewer places for our young people to be seen and heard. We’re committing to a future where the next generation of scientists won’t know what it means to think outside the square, where less kids become politicians who can advocate clearly, loudly and from the heart, and the creation of CEOs who don’t approach their role with empathy. No sporting code in the world would say: “There isn’t enough money for our sport, we need to cut our youth programs.” Because they understand the players and fans of tomorrow are the kids of today.  We are calling on all Australians to #takethestage on behalf of our young people and sign our petition. The Federal Government needs to address the lack of funding for youth arts companies. The evidence for investing in the youth theatre sector is undeniable: Participation in the performing arts improves learning across all curriculum areas Research shows that participation in youth performing arts has a significant measurable impact on mental health, wellbeing and connection to community Participation in the youth theatre sector provides a career development pipeline that fuels all industries, not just theatre and film What we do now matters for us all, but most of all for young people. We need to make sure the world they’re living is a place where they can solve problems, show compassion and resilience, dream boldly, respect and embrace everybody’s differences. We need to give our young people every opportunity we can to prepare them to shine at their brightest. Please sign our petition and help the next generation #takethestage they deserve. * The companies that have been defunded by the Australia Council include: Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), Arena Theatre Company; Backbone Youth Arts; Barking Gecko Theatre; Canberra Youth Theatre; Cirkidz; Jigsaw Theatre Company; La Mama Theatre; Lowdown; Monkey Baa Theatre Company; Outback Theatre for Young People; PACT; Platform Youth Arts; Polyglot Theatre; Riverland Youth Theatre, Shopfront Theatre; Slingsby; St Martins Theatre; The Blue Room; Urban Myth Theatre of Youth; Southern Edge Youth Theatre; and Young People and the Arts Australia.

Kia ora koutou, nau mai ki tēnei petihana. The immersion of arts and diverse types of artistic cultures has been significantly missing from our current New Zealand theaters, art galleries and more. The key driving factor for this loss is due to the lack of funding from the Government to sufficiently financially support these companies or organizations to continue putting on spectacular shows, pay their performers and allow for the arts to continue thriving within our country. At this point in time, the arts are being ignored and cast to the side as they are considered as a “hobby occupation”. Madison Nonoa told RNZ in 2016 that “there's a lot of pressure actually from the wider communities to leave it as a hobby and to do something”. Personally I believe that the first step to even addressing the lack of funding for arts organizations in NZ as a social issue is to recognize artistic endeavors as legitimate occupations for individuals in our country. Arts are just as a significant part of NZ culture as sports or even language, so we must treat it as such! And as a dancer myself, contributing to the artistic field within NZ, I am passionate in striving for the financial support that artists deserve and hope that you can too.  I am proposing through this social action that we can gain enough signatures in order take this social issue to Parliament to evoke positive policy change in regards to the current ‘Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill’ in order to provide small freelance artists or businesses with the opportunity to begin their journey as a respected and recognized artist in the industry through the financial support they so require.  Hannah Scholten, Wellington Girls' College

The people of New Zealand need summer festivals. Is it really a Kiwi summer without a live set from Netsky and/or Wilkinson at Rhythm and Vines or Hidden Valley? We all know Aunty Cindy loves a rave. So surely we get her to notice this and allow them in to the country for New Years.

SAVE CARRIAGEWORKS This action, and the building Carriageworks - resides on the land of the Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora Nation. Their sovereignty has not yet been ceded. Carriageworks is Australia’s largest multi-arts precinct, an iconic and vital cultural centre and meeting place. For years it has been home to many of Australia’s leading and groundbreaking artists, the site of the beloved weekly Farmer’s Markets and host to some of the world’s most recognisable public figures. This week, Carriageworks was unable to secure its regular funding from the NSW Government and as a result has had to go into voluntary administration. We cannot let this be the end. We cannot let Carriageworks be the ‘canary in the mine’ for Australia’s devastated artistic and cultural landscape. Glady Berejiklian as the acting arts minister and NSW premier needs to offer comprehensive support to the arts community during the coronavirus shutdown, starting with providing Carriageworks with some financial security. Carriageworks means a great deal to artists and audiences. Losing it due to the coronavirus shutdown would be a devastating blow to the arts ecology, not to mention Sydney's already vulnerable cultural scene. We do not want Carriageworks to disappear, be taken over by larger companies and corporations, or be made to surrender it’s curatorial self determination. We want a creative and cultural Arts Stimulus Package to be introduced by the NSW government to save this iconic building, and have it re-open stronger and more uniquely ‘Carriageworks’ than ever. Let’s combine our voices to put pressure on the NSW Government to step in and save Carriageworks.I am ask anyone who sees this petition to contact Gladys Berejiklian and demand the NSW Government step in: https://www.nsw.gov.au/contact-us/contact-the-premier ...and we ask that you copy+paste this and post it alongside a photo of your favourite memory from Carriageworks. In uniting to save Carriageworks, we are fighting for the broader arts sector and the community that values it. With your help, we can save the arts. We can #SaveCarriageworks https://carriageworks.com.au/ Note: I am not in any way affiliated with Carriageworks, I am however a visual art student and I don't want to lose hope for my future!   Pleas sign this petition and help me save Carriageworks! Thanks Angela