Creative arts is such a big opportunity for central Victoria.
- Lisa Chesters
Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters and state Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards have thrown their weight behind calls for federal Arts Minister George Brandis to commit to funding the Castlemaine State Festival into the future.
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The call comes after Australia Council CEO Tony Grybowski said last week that the council had decided to suspend the grants process for a six-year funding program announced in August last year, in the wake of $105 million in cuts announced in the recent federal budget.
Festival director Martin Paten said he was "stunned" that the Australia Council had been left unable to confirm whether the cuts would affect the festival's funding.
He said the festival had made commitments to a range of arts, community and business stakeholders on the basis of funding being in place.
"These relationships and partnerships are integral to the festival’s ongoing success and have been built on an understanding that the festival has the support and security of future funding from the federal government and the Australia Council," he said.
Ms Chesters said the lack of certainty had sent shock waves through the arts community.
"I know from talking to people throughout central Victoria how important this festival is for our local economy," she said.
"We need that early funding and support from the Australian government to ensure it can flourish and grow."
Ms Edwards said the state Labor government had committed to delivering $20 million dollars in funding to the arts in regional Victoria through its regional arts and creativity fund, but the federal cuts had now left the region facing "great uncertainty".
"I condemn the federal government and Senator George Brandis for this attack on regional festivals, artists and communities," she said.
A spokesperson for Senator Brandis said the Festivals Australia program had provided funding for three festivals.
"The biennial Castlemaine State Festival received funding of $493,520 in 2014 for three festivals – 2015, 2017 and 2019 – through the Festivals Australia program," the spokesperson said.
"All existing commitments for the Festivals Australia program will continue to be met."
The spokesperson said the government was committed to festivals and had doubled funding for the Major Festivals Initiative, totalling $1.5 million per year, in the 2015 Budget.
"It is disappointing that Labor continues to make false assertions about funding for the Castlemaine State Festival," they said.
"The Australia Council will continue to receive significant funding of around $185 million per year to provide grants to artists and arts organisations. This is comparable to 2012-13 funding figures."
