In the spirit of protestation and defiance gripping France at the moment, this article is my bit towards protesting the Morrison government’s latest act, which was to axe the federal arts department. I was speechless when I saw the news last Thursday that the Department for Communications and the Arts is being folded into a new super department which will also oversee roads and rail.
I’ll just give you a second to take that in.
Yes, that’s right, the arts are now in the same department as infrastructure. Because that’s exactly what springs to mind when you think about culture…
The name of this department will be the “Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.” The word “arts” isn’t even in there! The Libs are maintaining that this is just a technicality but words are powerful. Without the word, how can it be considered? So much easier to be ignorant of something that isn’t given visibility or importance. Omissions like this are very telling, and they pave the way for bigger things to come.
So why does it matter that the arts department isn’t going to exist in its own right anymore? And, why should we all care about it? Lots of reasons. Many people may consider the arts to be a frivolous hobby with no real value in society, but there is more to art than meets the eye. Arts’ role in society runs from increased economic prosperity to improved quality of life.
Firstly, the arts, by which I mean disciplines including music, literature, and theatre as well as visual art, is an industry valued at over 111 billion dollars per year in Australia. Clearly, the arts in Australia does have quite a bit of a financial contribution to make and one wonders why the government would choose to undermine such prosperity. It seems like an act of cutting off the nose to spite the face.
Secondly, and this is the real point I want to make: art is needed for, and a product of, healthy cohesive communities! It enriches our lives, informs our cultural identity, and helps us to live better lives. Without art, we are little more than robots, going to work, getting paid, repeat ad nauseum. Why do we do it? What’s the point? Is there a way to make meaning from our pathetically short time on the face of the earth? YES – to create stories from our experience and share them with others! Also known as… Art!!!!
In terms of art informing cultural identity, as a language assistant I have a long list of Australian art I wanted to share with my students to give them a taste of what it means to be Australian. Works such as Cloudstreet by Tim Winton, or movies like The Castle and The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, paintings, songs, poetry – all of these help to create an identity and sense of belonging to a group. Not to mention, without the help of works like this, how else can I show these French students that Australia is more than just a really big island on the other side of the world where it gets really hot and there are a bajillion deadly animals? These works tell of experiences that we as Australians can relate to and say, yes, this is like our life. They connect us and shape our lives and to not have this would be an indescribable loss.
The Arts hold a vital place in a healthy society, which the government has a duty to maintain and nurture, not disrupt and cut back. Australia could flourish. Everyone needs to promote the arts in whatever way they can and show the government that we care.
For further reading:
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/arts-community-mobilises-against-scott-morrison-after-federal-arts-department-axed
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/massive-backwards-step-australia-to-no-longer-have-a-federal-arts-department
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/opinion-the-loss-of-the-arts-department-is-a-loss-for-australia-s-humanity
Seven Months in Marseille 