PRESS STATEMENT NO. 9
11 December 1972
I\ 1AJOR GRANTS FOR THE ARTS
The Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, today announced major
grants by the Australian Government for the performing arts
for 1973. The grants, recommended by the Australian Council for
the Arts, include boosts for companies involved in major new
developments in Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.
These increases aim to enable opera, ballet and drama
companies to appear to advantage in the Sydney Opera House,
the Perth Concert Hall and the Adelaide Festival Centre.
The grant for the Australian Ballet has increased from
$ 400,000 in 1972 to $ 500,000 for 1973. The Australian Oi~ era
will receive $ 800,000, compared to $ 650,000 in 1972, the
Elizabethan Trust Orchestras $ 800,000 ($ 640,000), the Old Tote
Theatre Company $ 260,000 ($ 186,000), the South Australian
Theatre Company $ 90,000 ($ 60,000) and the National Theatre
at the Playhouse, Perth $ 80,000 ($ 62,500).
Another substantially increased grant will go to the
Tasmanian Theatre Company which will receive $ 70,000, compared
to $ 45,000 in 1972.
Details of other major grants are attached.
Mr. Whitlam said the coming year will see developments
of great importance to the arts, both at Federal and State level.
In many-State capitals during 1973 splendid new buildings will
open in which the people of Australia will be able to share the
pleasure and excitement of performances by-bur top performing
artists. The Concert Hall in Perth, the Festival Centre in
Adelaide, the Opera House in Sydney and other fine'buildings now
being planned in other capital cities will provide magnificent
settings for our orchestras and our opera, ballet and drama
companies. It is our aim to see that the companies are able to
appear in them to advantage. To this end our grants to the
national and State companies have been increased to allow them
to build up their resources and mount a fitting scale and
quality of performance.
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Australia must aim towards companies of world quality if
our top professional artists are to be encouraged to live and
work here. But our aims are broader than that. The arts have
an important role in the changing life style of Australia.
We look to a future when the leisure time of all Australians
will be enriched by the diverse pleasures of music, drama, dance
and painting, craft work, opera, film and sculpture; when
children, whatever their background, will have an equal chance
to express and develop talents and enthusiasms.
To foster this general community interest my Government
will in the coming year provide maliy more grants for special
projects and give increased assistance to bodies like the Arts
Councils which cater for the needs of country people. Vie will
also increase support to the small theatre companies in the
various States which provide an invaluable basis for our national
companies and in many cases are beginning to compete with them
in range and interest of work.
In the coming year significant changes will be
implemented in the administration of the arts at Federal level
to carry out the undertaking given in the Australian Labor
Party's policy speech. I stated there our concern to help the
arts, not only by fostering high standards of work and wide
public interest and involvement, but by seeking through them
a focus and expression of our national identity and a means
of making our values better known in contact with other countries.
To achieve these objectives the present arrangements will be
overhauled and the Australian Council for the Arts will be set
up by statute-to provide the direct and specialised administration
which the arts require.
cANBE:{-RA. A. C. T..
LA. joiZ G.. TiIS 17C10_ 2iTD) BY T1IAUT-. LJ COUlICIL 2iflE FOP.
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liational Institute of Dramatic Arts
A. ustralian Ballet Scliool
H1ATIOI 1A, Q1J o-Tiz 2AORO: G1T S2 O
The A~ ustralian Ballet
The Austrlalian Opera
T_ h e BZlizabethan Tru: st Orchiestras
He iEarionette Thea-' re o" Austrcalia
The Old Tote Theatre Company
The IMelbourne .'. eaIre Company
The South A. ustralian Theatre Comapany
The Queenisland Thleatbre Company
The Canberra Theatre ' 7rust
Th e Ilational ThieatLre at the Playhouse, Perth
T-he Tasmanian Theatre Company
The A ustralian Eli7zabetvhan Theature rust
TMe Arts Council of lustra-li-( ederal -' ivision)
Ilusica Viva J~ ustrAlia
2: LGIOiIAL OZGI ISATIOIIS
Hieu South '! ales
The ThIsemble Theatre
The Community Theatre
Q Tlhectre Group
N'imrod Street Theatre
Young Opera
The Dance Company, i.. T
The Theatre Guild ( St Marin's) Limited
The Victorian Opera Company
The Victorian Ballet Guild
Australian PerfLorming Group
La Ilama Uriters' Workshop and Experimental Theatre
SOUTH kUSTU. LIA
The Australian Dance Theatre
Theatre 62
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The (' ueensland Ballet Company
The QueenslLan--d Opera Company
TNvelfth ilight Thecatre
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The 1Western A ustrcalian OperaL Com-pany
The Tes-t Australian Ballet Companyl
The M__ ole in the ' Jall Theare
AUST 2ALIA1! CkPITA. L
The Caonberra 7 epertory Society
December, 1972 140,000 80,000
500,000
800, 000
800,000 65,000
2~ n 0 000
260,000 090,000 no0,000
20,000 80,000 70t000
307,000 175,000 63,000 5,000 1,000
12,000 13,000 7,000
10,000 18,000 16,500 13,000 180,000 6,000
1 I, 1000
14,000 7,000
24,000 14,000 24,000 15,500 5,000
6,000