Cultural Patronage to the Arts in Australia and Historical Precedents Series
December 12th 2006 20:29
Part 1
In 1992 the Keating Government gave life to the first cultural policy in Australian politics. Before then, cultural patronage began with the establishment of the Commonwealth Literary Fund in 1908 continued in the form of voluntary entrepreneurship and the establishment of the ABC in 1932, culminating in 1968 with the birth of the Australian Council for the Arts, known today as the Australia Council. The AC constitutes a number of trusts and boards that are directly funded like the Australian Opera, and the Aboriginal Arts Board. In recent years though with the rising demographic of multiculturalism in this country, the emphasis has swung towards decentralised patronage within community arts funding, whereby a third party endorses applicants for reasons of equity and community relevance. This series will examine outcomes like establishment of the ABC and Australia Council, where culture has been taken as both an object and instrument, discussing these elements with reference to historical examples and contemporary Australian cultural policy.
Governments' view culture as either an object or an instrument. The object as being a focus for strategy, regulation, and even prohibition. For example, Indigenous Australia is an object, a focus for government strategy and policy direction. An instrument is one that brings about the cultural edification of the subordinate classes. A good example would be the Special Broadcasting Service SBS, or the ABC as instruments. However, the Australian Opera would not. Opera being a high-culture, elitist ritual, where those who attend don't usually need their cultural level raised. Whereas the regular viewer of SBS, although ranging up and down the socio-economic scale, are mainly of migrant heritage, and the migrant, like the Aborigine, are a focus for government policy. Hence, the SBS is an instrument to bring about improved cultural access in a multicultural society. As would special indigenous broadcasting services.
From the Federation of this great nation in 1901 to the formation of its first cultural policy in 1992, was by no means a cultural void. As stated in the 'Australian Identity Series', many great works of literature were published during this period, Paterson, Lawson, and Franklin, to name but three authors. And let's not forget Australia's very own angel of the high-arts Dame Nellie Melba, who reached her pinacle during this era. It was a time of cultural identity formation, and an era when government realised, they need to do more.
(Cont)
PW
In 1992 the Keating Government gave life to the first cultural policy in Australian politics. Before then, cultural patronage began with the establishment of the Commonwealth Literary Fund in 1908 continued in the form of voluntary entrepreneurship and the establishment of the ABC in 1932, culminating in 1968 with the birth of the Australian Council for the Arts, known today as the Australia Council. The AC constitutes a number of trusts and boards that are directly funded like the Australian Opera, and the Aboriginal Arts Board. In recent years though with the rising demographic of multiculturalism in this country, the emphasis has swung towards decentralised patronage within community arts funding, whereby a third party endorses applicants for reasons of equity and community relevance. This series will examine outcomes like establishment of the ABC and Australia Council, where culture has been taken as both an object and instrument, discussing these elements with reference to historical examples and contemporary Australian cultural policy.
(Cont)
PW
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