Delivered actions

Through Revive, the Australian Government:

  • Undertook a refresh of the methodology for estimating the contribution of the cultural and creative sector to the Australian economy, and published a new statistical working paper Cultural and Creative Activity in Australia, 2008–09 to 2022–23 (Methodology Refresh). The Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research undertook extensive consultations to inform and shape the scope of the cultural and creative sector including internal consultations a consultation paper; and stakeholder workshops. For more information, visit Cultural and Creative Activity Satellite Accounts Methodology Refresh.
  • Provided $44.0 million to the Australia Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia) to address underfunded areas like youth arts and expand its functions to establish the new landmark body for the arts, Creative Australia. This includes:
    • The enactment legislation to establish Writing Australia to provide direct support to the literature sector from 2025. This will strengthen the Australian literature sector and develop further markets and audiences, here and overseas. Through targeted investment and the development of national industry initiatives, it will increase opportunities for authors, illustrators and publishers to create new works and tell new stories.
    • The establishment of a First Nations Board within Creative Australia on 9 September 2024, backed with investment of $52 million for First Nations arts over 4 years from 2024–25. (See also "First Nations First pillar").
    • The Introduction of the Creative Australia Bill which was passed by the Parliament, establishing the centrepiece of Revive, a restored and modernised Australia Council for the Arts, to deliver increased investment and better support for the Australian cultural and creative sector.
    • The establishment of Music Australia backed with a commitment of $69.4 million over 4 years, to support the Australian music industry to grow, including through strategic initiatives and industry partnerships, research, skills development and export promotion.
    • The establishment of Creative Workplaces (see also "Centrality of the Artist pillar").
    • The establishment of the Creative Futures Fund (formerly named works of scale) through Creative Australia, with funding of $19 million to support new artistic works of scale.
  • Transferred the functions of Creative Partnerships Australia to the newly established Creative Australia. This creates synergies between public and private partnerships, as well as government and philanthropic investment.
  • Increased funding to Creative Australia to support more small and medium arts organisations and drive new artistic works of scale including the establishment of the Creative Futures Fund on 15 May 2024.
  • Through Creative Australia, researched the national qualitative, quantitative and economic impact of music festivals, releasing a report of findings in April 2024. For more information, read the Soundcheck: Insights into Australia’s music festival sector report.
  • Provided $11.8 million over 4 years to establish the National Gallery of Australia's Sharing the National Collective Initiative, supporting the long-term loan of works to regional and suburban cultural institutions across Australia. Expressions of interest for the program opened in July 2023 with the unveiling in November 2023 of the inaugural loan of Claude Monet's Meules, milieu du jour [Haystacks, midday], 1890 to the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre.
  • Provided $3.8 million to help preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural content held on vulnerable magnetic tape media. Using mobile digitisation kits and their Central Australia facility as a hub, AIATSIS is partnering with Mparntwe bodies and the Remote Indigenous Media Organisations, to preserve these collections of heritage and cultural information, and provide Communities with training in their care.
  • Established Ministerial-level meetings between Commonwealth, state and territory cultural ministers, and the Australian Local Government Association. At a meeting in October 2022, Ministers agreed to meet approximately twice a year. Cultural Ministers met twice in 2024, in March and July.
  • Streamlined programs that incentivise philanthropic support for the arts, by transferring administrative responsibility for assessing Deductible Gift Recipient status for Cultural Organisations (formerly the Register of Cultural Organisations) from the Office for the Arts to the Australian Tax Office. This will assist cultural organisations to attract donations from businesses and individuals.

Other work delivered to support strong cultural infrastructure

In addition, the Australian Government:

  • Provided support for the 9 National Collecting Institutions in the Arts portfolio enabling them to operate sustainably with increased ongoing and one-off funding to deliver building repairs and replace assets that are at end-of-life at 7 National Collecting Institutions.
  • Provided ongoing funding for the National Library of Australia's Trove platform—a core piece of Australia's cultural infrastructure. For more information, read Trove funding secured in 2023–24 Federal Budget.