Dear colleagues,
Our artists, performers and cultural organisations have endured so much upheaval already throughout this pandemic.
For many, our new year optimism and hopes for revival have been frustrated once again, with the Omicron wave causing further isolation, illness and disruption across the community.
We hope as more Australians get their booster shots, restrictions ease, international borders open and audience confidence picks up again (as it has done before), we can get on with the job of rebuilding and renewal.
Throughout these challenges, the Australia Council's approach has been to provide as much certainty as we can, to support our artists and organisations survive the crisis and plan for the future.
We have worked closely with government on support through COVID-19 measures such as RISE and the Sustainability Fund, and through our direct investments we have continued to deliver support for individual artists and projects, small to medium organisations, and our larger performing arts companies.
While providing as much funding certainty as possible, we have also supported artists and organisations manage through the pandemic through many hundreds of variations to individual grant agreements.
We know there will be more challenges ahead and the Australia Council will continue our focus on providing the support artists and organisations need as we continue to adapt to living with COVID.
At the same time, we'll be advocating strongly for the importance of public investment in artists and arts organisations, both to sustain and grow our broader cultural and creative industries and to bring the immense benefits to our health and wellbeing, to our community engagement and sense of belonging, which is engendered through creative participation.
In the midst of our many challenges, we wish you the very best for a creative and fulfilling year ahead.
Kind regards,
Adrian Collette AM
Chief Executive Officer
Australia Council for the Arts
