Australia’s new Federal Art Minister has moved quickly to assuage concerns that the “Creative Australia” scheme would disappear – in the same way his predecessor did.
Tony Burke, the country’s new arts minister, will meet with an industry delegation Wednesday at 6.30pm local time at the Sydney Theatre Company. Earlier forums where held Tuesday in Melbourne and this morning in Canberra, the nation’s capital. ARIA Award winning artist Clare Bowditch has been among the music industry personnel who met with the new minister.
Mixed Music Biz Response for Australia’s National Cultural Policy
Australia’s National Cultural Policy is expected to be on tonight’s agenda. Burke has also tipped off the music biz to his support of the document. Soon after learning he’d been appointed to the arts portfolio, Burke took to Twitter to prove his leanings toward the NCP.
Simon Crean produced an inspiring cultural policy in Creative Australia.It’s an honour to implement it as Arts Minister. #auspol
— Tony Burke (@Tony_Burke) March 25, 2013
Burke, a guitar player and opera fan who until recently served as environment minister, was parachuted into the government’s top arts position when his predecessor Simon Crean was sacked for his part in an attempted coup to dismiss the prime minister, Julia Gillard.
Australia’s Arts Minister Simon Crean Out, ‘Creative Australia’ Faces Unknown Fate
Crean’s audacious act — and swift removal –- came less than a fortnight after he presented “Creative Australia.” The document is a long-term vision for this country’s cultural activities and its support framework, and is the most signficant of its kind for the arts community in almost 20 years.