A Sustainable Arts Sector: What Will It Take?

Sustainability in the arts is about much more than money. It suggests a willingness to learn and a commitment to the long-term. While in economic terms it means sustained success in competition, publicly-funded arts define success as producing something society values. This essay looks at the pillars of sustainability: a stable income, a supportive infrastructure and vibrant creativity. Wherever governments support the arts, the demand for money outstrips the supply. This paper looks at how government agencies in Australia and Britain are beginning to complement traditional methods of subsidy with more multi-dimensional approaches to the achievement of artistic, financial and organisational sustainability. The time is right, the authors suggest, for Australia to get creative in its quest for a more sustainable arts sector. They propose the establishment of a public-private endowment fund that would support risk and innovation, long-term projects and their evaluation, and promote the value of the arts to Australia and Australians.