As the country’s most famous cultural icon, the Sydney Opera House, marks its golden jubilee, there is much to celebrate in the Australian arts. Our foremost artistic ambassadors are as talismanic as ever. Cate Blanchett is already generating Oscars buzz for her performance as the trailblazing composer and conductor Lydia Tar.
Australia’s cultural infrastructure is also unrecognisable from when the Opera House unfurled its sails. Next month sees the opening of Sydney Modern, the extension to the Art Gallery of NSW, which has ambitions to rival New York’s Museum of Modern Art, The Louvre and London’s Tate Modern. This may all sound a tad far-fetched.
All this forms the backdrop for the release next month of the Albanese government’s National Cultural Policy. Its main author is Arts Minister Tony Burke, who is not only reprising the role he played in the Gillard government but reviving many of the core ideas from the Creative Australia strategy unveiled in 2013.
Putting “First Nations First” will be the top priority. Celebrating the stories of all Australians is central, too. In another welcome move, Burke has promised to depoliticise the arts by not interfering in controversial funding decisions. In his dual role as employment minister, he wants us to think of artists as workers, which means emphasising employment protections and technical training for the cultural workforce.
Don’t forget the Wiggles!
Mona? 🤦