What makes a good Arts Minister?

With conversations regularly held in theatre foyers and galleries, circus tents and courtyards about the effectiveness or lack thereof of our various elected representatives; and with Senator George Brandis QC still settling into his role as Federal Arts Minister, we thought it timely to ask a range of political and arts sector identities about the traits and skills they think are most essential to the role of Arts Minister.

The Minister himself did not respond to ArtsHub’s queries until after our deadline had passed (his comment is now included below); indeed his Office, whose primary focus is on the more senior position of Attorney-General, does not even mention the Arts portfolio when answering the phone.

So what do our arts leaders think matters most: a passion for the arts or political clout? A silver tongue or backroom brawling skills? From across the nation, and from various art forms, here are their responses.

Senator George Brandis,  Attorney-General and Minister for the Arts

‘Three things come immediately to mind.  First, a genuine interest in and feel for the arts, and appreciation of work of creative Australians.  Secondly, accessibility.  A good arts minister needs to have his door open to all parts of the sector, and to be a frequent presence at major arts events.  And thirdly, political skill.  Every good minister needs to have the political smarts to get the outcomes he wants, and that is no less true of the arts minister than of any other minister.’

Simon Crean, former Minister for the Arts and architect of Creative Australia

‘You’ve got to have a passion; a feel for the arts and the significance of them. And you’ve also got to have a view as to the importance of the arts to society, really. As much as it’s important to invest in the arts for arts’ sake, investing in the arts produces important dividends to the nation. Social dividends, because I think it teaches respect, inclusion, the freedom of expression which is fundamental to a democracy; and tolerance, the preparedness to accept others, appreciate others and work with others. This is where the exciting art comes from, it’s the fusion. So there’s that social dividend but there’s also an economic dividend, because a creative nation is a more productive nation.

‘I think the other thing that is important for an Arts Minister to understand and develop is the notion of inclusion. It’s the getting of the stakeholders together, but not just the stakeholders in the arts community itself. It’s what I refer to as joining the dots. For the Minister to think beyond the silo that is the arts, to really take that point that I made before about its return to the nation and seek to engage others in the Cabinet particularly, who have responsibility in those other spaces, whether it’s education, the social inclusion portfolios, whether it’s the Indigenous portfolios, whether it’s the industry portfolios with design, and communication portfolios obviously as the delivery mechanism. It’s bringing people in and getting them to understand their connection and therefore their ownership, their need to be involved and their advocacy, that becomes so important when you’ve got to win the big argument in Cabinet, which is the money.

‘By involving people in the process they get an ownership of it and they become your advocates. It’s a lonely advocacy role for an Arts Minister, particularly if they just look at it from the silo perspective and get up and champion the arts. It’s an easy and enjoyable way at times, to champion the arts, but it’s not that effective, unless you’re bringing others in to develop that wider perspective. And as much as I think a creative society is a more productive one, and in the global economy the creative nations are going to be the ones that go ahead, I see the artist very much being the centre of creativity, if you like.

‘Creativity is essential to the future of the nation, but the artist is essential, and the centrist point, when it comes to creativity itself.’

Gail Kelly, Director, Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Association

‘I would love it if all the Arts Ministers in each state and territory were completely in touch with their inner carnie; this would then provide them with the insight to intuitively know just how vibrant, resilient and distinctive the Australian circus arts are and have been for the last 35 years.  

‘As the director of the Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Association (ACAPTA) I think that the circus arts more-often-than not get completely overlooked in the funding stakes; sadly there has been almost no investment in the development of resources for the sector for more than ten years, and in real terms that equates to a hell of a lot of Arts Ministers!

‘But if they truly cannot tap into their inner carnie then I think we need Arts Ministers who actually value, understand and respect the arts (not just economically) but who intrinsically recognize that the arts adds value to all our lives. Arts Ministers need to be informed and responsive to the changing needs of the arts because they must be able to fight for the arts in the political arena.

‘Earlier this year I was part of a delegation who visited the Buenos Aires Circus Festival. At the opening event an extremely proud, passionate and visionary Minister for Culture welcomed us with a hug and a kiss (both cheeks); then he told us that this festival was a dream come true because it had helped him to transform his city. There were two Australians in the delegation and we were both in complete disbelief – did he just hug and kiss us?! Now I am not saying that Arts Ministers should get out there and kiss more artists but perhaps they need to take a few more risks and show a bit more fervour for the arts – after all, they do actually have a great job.’

Wesley Enoch, Artistic Director, QTC

‘Well I think number one, leadership. They have to be powerful enough in cabinet that they can make a difference, because they have to be good politicians. We have this thing at the moment that we want our Arts Ministers to be great believers and lovers of art, and that’s great, but ultimately you want them to be an advocate; and our best advocates, sometimes that comes from understanding and a deep knowledge and a passion for the arts, but if you’ve got a very passionate Arts Minister and they’re not politically powerful, what use are they to us? They have to do their job as well as they can, so for me I need a very strong political advocate who can help facilitate the processes and policy-making within government.

‘You also want them to be a very good speaker, you know? Because, especially in a theatre, our job is communication; we love to tell stories and connect with people, and if you find someone who can’t – if a minister can’t do that – you find that you feel depleted at the end of their speech rather than buoyed and excited by what’s possible. So they need to be the kind of communicator who can pitch to their audience and understand who they are. And also there’s the idea of policy – that they can, if not themselves be the conduit, then understand that every time they speak they’re talking about policy and issues and ideas that are important to the arts industry, but also the community at large. They advocate both to politicians but also to everyone they talk to; they need to be able to communicate those kind of things.

And thirdly, I guess, it’s that sense that they have an open mind and even if they don’t like something that they can argue and understand its purpose in the artistic ecology, if you like. I don’t need them to like everything; they don’t have to like opera and ballet and theatre and contemporary art – they don’t have to be a generic lover of art. If they have something that’s their passion, fantastic. If they come to see a show at, say, the Queensland Theatre Company and they don’t like it, I’d hope that they also understand that others may like it, or that it’s playing a different role, so that their values and understanding of the arts isn’t based on personal taste but on a sense of the central role that art can play in society, and how artists can succeed and fail in equal measure.’

Tamara Winikoff, Executive Director, NAVA

He/ she:

• Gives a damn about C21st arts.
• Has a good understanding of the whole Australian arts ecology & how it fits in the world.
• Says non-elitist stuff in public about how cool it is to love the arts.
• Appoints a really hot shot arts adviser & listens to him/her.
• Implements a coherent national policy which builds the strength of Australian arts.
• Regularly attends arts events, great & small & takes along a Cabinet mate or two.
• Is not scared of risk-taking artists and will actually talk with arts people.
• Has equal commitment across all artforms & at all levels from emerging to fully fledged.
• Finds deep pockets in hidden corners of Treasury for arts purposes.
• Rigorously maintains the arm’s length principle.
• Can have a laugh even when it sometimes hurts.

Roslyn Dundas, CEO Ausdance National

A good arts minister will be accessible, engaged, a respectful listener and a proud advocate. Arts – politically and creatively – do not exist in a vacuum. There are any number of issues sitting on a Parliamentarian’s desk on any given day, so any political leader needs to be able to hear the input of the experts and practitioners in the field, and then use that advice to craft relevant and timely policy outcomes. The role of the Minister in advocating for the arts and weighing it against competing priorities takes intellect, passion, and political savvy.’

Jessica Machin, CEO, Country Arts WA and Board Director of Regional Arts Australia

‘A good Arts Minister must first and foremost want the arts portfolio. An Arts Minister needs to have a genuine love, passion and engagement with the arts.

‘The Minister needs to be the sector’s champion in Cabinet.

‘They need to have a vision for what they want to achieve whilst holding this portfolio, be able to articulate it and have others champion it.

‘They need to surround themselves with a diverse range of views and expertise when receiving advice on priorities and policy issues.

‘An Arts Minister must understand that creativity in Australia is found everywhere and not confined to urban centres or major companies.

‘Recognition of the intrinsic value of the arts along with an understanding of how the arts contribute to community and social wellbeing would be welcomed.

‘An Arts Minister distinguishes themselves when they have the insight to find the merits in the work of previous Ministers, regardless of those individuals’ political affiliations, as they build on the legacy of those works for the betterment of the sector above the divisions of partisan politics.

‘Experience as an arts patron and benefactor will benefit an Arts Minister in understanding the needs of the sector.’

David Sefton, Artistic Director, Adelaide Festival

‘It would feel beyond superfluous to say in almost any other context, but a genuine interest in the arts over and above all is the single most important requirement for this job. I say it feels superfluous but know for a fact it is not, because I have spent 25 years experiencing the best and worst of these appointments – and at the very worst have witnessed government officials in arts posts with no empathy or experience whatsoever to recommend them to the position.

‘(Personal best: meeting a new French Consul General to the arts in London whose first statement included the sentence, ‘Please excuse my lack of knowledge but my area of expertise is sewage disposal’. True story.)

‘Almost everything else for the post should or would (ideally) come from that genuine interest/enthusiasm.

‘They would, for instance, understand the fundamental and unarguable importance of funding arts education through the whole educational process. They would know how many jobs are created by that education process that go so far beyond the obvious and permeate all of our lives and the wider economy. They would understand there is a need to support professional artists at the earliest stage but not abandon them at an arbitrary point thereafter. They would understand that ‘cultural differences’ were not something to be feared but something to be celebrated and encouraged; and that the arts was clearly one of the best ways of understanding and communicating between different cultures.

‘They would understand the enormous social and political value of supporting the large festivals and institutions as well as the small ones. They would see that the arts are a huge provider of benefits well beyond the ‘economic’ but be able to use that economic benefit to their advantage. They would appreciate the incalculable benefit of encouraging international work to come to the country both for audiences and artists.

‘They would see the possibilities and benefits of working with the business community and private donors without seeing them as a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card for arts funding but rather as an opportunity for partnerships which make much more from what they give rather than letting them off the hook.

‘Most of all they would just understand, in the words of Julian Burnside QC, that ‘without the arts you can’t have civilisation’ and believe it to be true.

‘Too easy… surely?’

Richard Harris, CEO, South Australian Film Corporation

‘We want someone who gets the arguments, who understands it and has some leverage. If you have good access into the Treasury or PM’s office, then everything is easier.
 
‘There is a question of whether passion matters. I think it was very encouraging to have Tony Burke, who had the passion, although he didn’t stay very long.
 
‘What doesn’t make a good Minister is someone who has actually been in the arts. I don’t think Garrett was good in film because he came from music, which is not subsidised to the level of film. He had a lot of trouble understanding the need for subsidies.
 
‘I think Brandis gets it from the film industry point of view. And he has ownership of the Tax Offset and making it work in Australia.’

Tony Burke MP, former Minister for the Arts

‘You need to lock down a solid policy foundation; you need to be able to defend the sector from the financial cuts that other agencies always pressure you to give in on; and most importantly, instead of being afraid of dissent, you have to welcome it. You can’t let arts policy be driven purely by the art that you like because you have to be Minister for the Arts for Australia, not simply for your own entertainment tastes.’