Arts minister Paul Fletcher announces 66 Australian arts and entertainment events will share in $25m in RISE funding

Australia’s struggling arts and entertainment sector will receive a $25 million Federal Government cash injection in a bid to boost 66 live events across the country. Led by million dollar pledges to Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Splendour, the slate of festivals, concerts, tours, productions and live events will immediately benefit from the third batch of funding under the Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, creating 25,000 jobs nationally. In a show of support for Queensland’s industry, 15 projects across the state, including Bigsound and the Queensland Writers Festival, will share in $4.6 million. Arts Minister Paul Fletcher will announce the new RISE funding, which is now at a cumulative $100 million, this morning from Brisbane venue The Tivoli, which will receive $577,000 to stage its five-month Open Season program and launch the Princess Theatre. “We understand the widespread disruption to creative organisations from the pandemic,” Mr Fletcher said. “This funding is an important step in the rejuvenation of Australia’s arts sector from COVID-19, and will support our much-loved venues putting on activities such as festivals, concerts, tours, productions and events, particularly in regional and remote areas.” The arts sector has been in an ongoing tug of war with Federal and State Governments since the global pandemic decimated the industry, leaving organisations and freelance workers out of pocket if events fall through because of COVID-19 outbreaks and barely covering costs under capacity restrictions. On Wednesday the Queensland Government announced $1.3 million in funding across 21 live music venues, $80,000 of which went to The Tivoli, which came after a recent “Play Fair” petition called on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to show the industry a similar level of support given to live sport. The Tivoli’s creative director Dave Sleswick said the slate of funding had monumentally changed the scale of programming for Open Season, which would allow them to “filter that back into the ecosystem of the music industry, paying artists, technicians, making sure there are enough gigs and events for people to go to in Brisbane”. “It’s really about providing a platform for shows to happen when we are still in a really tumultuous stage with capacity restrictions and constant fear of border closures,” he said. “It’s not an industry that has reserves so when it’s all taken away the fear of losing everything we have was very real.” “It’s not just about survival and handing out money but an overall recognition from all levels of government of the importance of the arts and live music. There is still a lot of work to be done there, but the conversation is happening.” Moulin Rouge! The Musical, opening in Melbourne in August and employing 100 Australian cast and crew, is among the largest recipients of Federal Government RISE funding, receiving $1.1 million. Leading music festival Splendour followed with a $1 million pledge to stage its 2021 event, employing 1300 people. Brisbane music festival and industry event Bigsound, which returns to the city for three days in September, will receive a $180,000 cash injection, while the 2021 and 2022 Brisbane Writers Festival will receive almost $200,000. Placemakers Gold Coast’s Big City Lights nabbed $520,000 to throw the new signature event, inspired by VIVID Sydney. Other Queensland recipients include the Australasian Dance Collective, Noosa Film Academy, Back to the Bush Festival, and The Australian Festival of Chamber Music. Download the Courier Mail app