At the time, Minister for Communications and the Arts Paul Fletcher defended the move and said it was"business as usual" and it was not unprecedented for the arts to sit in a department that does not bear its name.
"There is no change in the resources committed to the arts - $749 million is what the Commonwealth is committing to the arts in 2019/20."Mr Kidd says the impacts of COVID-19 have been particularly hard on young actors trying to make their way in the industry. But the majority of arts workers are not eligible for federal government stimulus schemes, leaving them in limbo until productions re-commence.Australian music and arts sector braces for multi-million dollar hit during coronavirus outbreak
Chloe Dallimore is the federal president of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance's equity division and says the majority of people in the industry are freelancers, working from contract to contract."They are the people that are falling through the gap in the JobKeeper parameters, simply because they don't tick the right boxes," she said.
Well this Government had already given the Arts the kiss of death by lumping it in with a lot of forgettable subjects and cutting funds. It is the artists of every persuasion who keep us sane, particularly at this time. Reverse this decision.
More (paid) live and streamed performances to allow more people to access and enjoy theatre and the arts, I hope.
Some of the best art comes from hardship, depression, fear and love..... I think in time it'll be doing quite good. Yes it's crap now but won't be forever
thekathoyos