Mourning the end of ArtStart

Image: imgkid.com

The cracks in funding for the Australian arts sector are well and truly showing after $104.8 million was ripped out of the Australia Council’s budget, causing the suspension of the new six-year funding program, the cancellation of the June grant round, and the discontinuation of ArtStart, the Creative Communities Partnerships Initiative, and Artists in Residence programs.

For emerging artists and arts practitioners – the future of the Australian arts sector – the loss of ArtStart is particularly hard to swallow. In what is already an extremely competitive and volatile industry, without opportunities provided by ArtStart, graduates will have fewer pathways to develop skills, receive training, and gain access to resources to build sustainable arts careers.