Free the Arts – a whole of industry alliance of arts and cultural sector organisations and independent artists welcomes yesterday’s successful motion for a Senate Inquiry into the proposed National Programme for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA).
“We were delighted to see the motion jointly put forward by Senators Collins (Labor) and Ludlum (Greens) and supported strongly by the independent and crossbench Senators,” said Norm Horton, a spokesperson for the Free the Arts alliance.
“The Senate Inquiry adds significant weight to the national calls for Senator Brandis to put an immediate halt to his reckless and damaging changes to arts funding in Australia. The Inquiry now provides the opportunity for the arts and cultural sector to have a say in a decision which according to the evidence given by Senator Brandis in estimates hearings, no one was consulted on.”
The approval of the Senate Inquiry coincides with a national delegation of sixty arts sector representatives from across the country who will be meeting with the major parties on Thursday in Canberra to urgently address the damage caused by the funding cuts to the Australia Council.
For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/freethearts2015 for details.