There was little for the screen sector in last night’s Federal Budget, as the government delivered a modest pre-election pitch to voters centred on cost-of-living relief.
Whereas last year’s announcement included funding boosts for the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and the National Film and Sound Archive, and the removal of the cap on ‘above the line’ costs for the Producer Offset, arts-specific funding in Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ fourth budget was limited to $8.6 million to extend the Revive Live arts and culture support program for an additional year.
Announced as part of the Critical Support for the Live Music and Festivals measure in the 2024–25 Budget, the program offers grants for festival-based activities and live music venues to adapt to market pressures and improve the sustainability of their operations as the sector continues to face challenges across the country.
Further, the core funding for Creative Australia, the principal arts investment and advisory body governed by the Australia Council, has increased to $318 million, up from $306.6 million in 2024–25. As per Theatre Network Australia (TNA), this increase will be for pre-existing Revive initiatives beginning or scaling up in 2025–26, including Writing Australia and the Creative Futures Fund.
Elsewhere, the government has maintained funding for the ABC and SBS and allocated $10 million to support independent multicultural media outlets.
In its response, TNA welcomed the $8.6 million for Revive Live but believed the lack of additional funding for other critical initiatives was a “missed opportunity to address the ongoing challenges faced by the sector, include workforce shortages, financial instability for arts workers, and the need for more accessible arts experiences for communities across the country”.
“TNA is disappointed that the 2025–26 Federal Budget did not include more substantial investment in the arts, especially in response to critical issues the sector is dealing with,” the organisation said in a statement.
“TNA continues to emphasise the need for measures to support independent artists, small-to-medium arts organisations, and access to the arts and culture. Specifically we are calling for much-needed investment to create fair pay and sustainable careers, strengthen regional touring and development, and improve children and young people’s access to the arts.”
TNA also noted that other budget measures, including lowering the bottom marginal tax rate, while not arts-specific, could provide indirect benefits to the sector, especially for low-income, freelance, and not-for-profit workers.
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