PRIM MIIX
PMEME MINIT~ a IO
It gi-vas s'pC. ia1 œ p. Xasure to be zab', t-;
WaS Is; ec % teir opiioy) of the openiang si4: VLt1Cthc,
Melbow-nt. Theatre Company -andj saiad " 11 -Wy T Izzst eel
The pyediir. ion was us;: zd by 4eoffreq 1 at -a th t t2.= f 1, -A
book on thi! 1elloiarm; 71rcatre Conmpany. 71he
Company i. ali-vo and th-riving, 1 CF; B Only 111& it
the sam-): Thjd or" te-st-1i ial will irl-tttr ] z a. q~~ c
of a centu. ry's time t-hout tbis theatroc whei) au5e jA
be ico3hing lbark on a long line of sucz.-ssful cruuct-ons-u.
You at this CCol. 1CgC have g'Ood Te, son -to P] Wolud cif T
kind of ihe-attre you a-te e-reatiig-P-m~ iz) ccoun'ts, it. is
the logical offsprinig of its par'ent, the school of~ dirwra,
which opiried bere last. month, with-an in~ take of thirty
Students) to do a thr-ee ye-ar Course in thio aranat. ic arts.
This drama theat. beenl C04) Verttd fTOni thC Old POli. ce d-rill
hall. I am suTe thnT1. it has Wiitles-sed P~ oyii~ gcrue
t-raijinng proora. m~ es. It w3
ill nlow se.-v. as a localc. in Whiich
studerns will be turiied in fizl~ x f edged rmemxbhes of' a SM lied
and disciplined profe-ssion.
A mnoment ago, I -referred to the MOOXboirfme: Theatre: Conopany.
At roughly The same time as John Stininer was ' husy ctab1_ h3; 1g
the Melbourne Theatre Comipany son 23 yea-fs ago, lt-Australlan
Governent lbegan providixig fi-nncial assiEtance. to thow
I) eforijig arts5 through the Eizaibethan ' T. 1eatyc Trust.
411e t e en" jYe ar s& l a t e 3 1 t he T 0rg 3r sat i. 3 o 4-t Ii A s t ra -1an
Council for The Arts, the numIber of pyrofessional thcatrae
Cu1mpfl33les, had rCisen ' to 7-5. Statte rpt"' 60-nl and altern'ative
tbcat-res. bave grown strength ayid nium'ber.
'( be theatre bo,. j-r of the Council requiicd a budget of ) VCr
$ i -31,1 11 ir 19? 3/ 7?, d ' be foioing yearls(: i~.~
VDO ovel' ] rillHionl.
Another reason why I ami pleased to tic present today is -to,
tak tbe opportunity ~ freaff: irmning t. hc cvrn. n' firm~
co~ t~ mntsto support anc en-urage the developxment Of the rt-
1-hrcugloaut tbo Au-tral iar, conin1oit-y.
t Of -R3ja* O) n-ji VCU the ls zisv
of t12e Australia Coucil's administratiVe cost-s) . irtdic* atCS
th-is support.-The prese)-t Government does not, huowever,,
see Government as thte sole, or necessarily the -ansource
of -ptroniage for the arts. We believe a geiiuiJnel-y vig~ rats
an d S-tsl0timulating isti _ LClimaite Cax ernergc only hten
governments both State and CommonwealTh indiv. uals.,
private enterprise and C-Grporations, are activ. ely and
cooperatively offcriihg decentralfised and diversified paronage..
A diversity and plurality of support carv only streagthen the
a'rts to the general conuion good. The fact that the linance
for the School of Draima's 19D76 operation was pravidd Iy tl ie
Victorian Governmnent, by the gener. osity of several private
a s wec-l1i s a grant from the Australia Coujacil attests to the
effectiveness of patronage supplied from.. several sources.
ThI! Government's Pgeneral approach is to broaden. support for
the arts, to have more funds flowing from~ differiont soirrces.
We -are not seeking to find sub! 5titutes for Gbover-tent assistance"
but to expand on that necessary baso. In -th-is coirnectioli, the
Government is havinig oxamined ' che possibility, of taxaItion
concessions or other inceontives for the arts, anet ways andme1aris
ofr encouraging .;) dividuals and private, annedpis.
c~. oratopatronalge.
W~ e have also tkna i-uinbrr of decisions -relating T-o a mor-'
effl~ c~ i b. Ofr a~ Tshtce utriaC2. xu i
Itsl bad recognisud that there were administrativo and
fiiacial inadequacies and bead Commissioned a seC-parate enquiry in't
it. opertion1s by iMcKi-nsey and Company-. ' fhe AdmI?" nistration
Roview Co,' waittce also noted a number of dfiuti~
113oConicj s operat
The cbanges iade art-de-sippid to correct identi. ITeda
pr-obl enm and defici encies: to ia~ kc admiistrative and
fina,-ncial arrangemnen ts vorce ffi cient, to reduco
aidmninistrative costs, so tbat mwore will be availablce for -the
arts, aind to eiiter into ' iptw and imnproved arrange-ments
wbich might lead -to greater involvement of Stale and1c
governments And enterprises.
Changes are proposod to the , Aructare, and size o-F, t-be
~ n bars ndtoth trZ of memnbarship. Th-se -bha:,-qcs winrva
s. 0c ffetvn and reducte co-sts but at thec ' saxze tm
esret Continuity and dive-rsity of advice. Two new. poi tn. ( I
will b', c create. t deputy Chairn of the Couiicil ( 1-32vt time)
and general mainager willX bc the chbief exective~ r officAr
Of the C( unICiI. This c'ff CO Will 3 Statlat( ery on-e, andR
its otccn, 4ant will be an ex-officio werabe~ r of' the CoucIl.
Th e Ai as t r jI a Cou,-1c i I SF iIrP Rfia dl o. a nd Te Ie i s c s p DP s bi1
will be tranforrcd to "-he Australiap Film~ * Ce; 4unjSS103. Th e
Film Ru-dio hlvsi; loard ' b of the Astralia Covncil i
be abolished.. I I'
ThIs last Chaimge hdlcd Samre plp to volce, cocrnr about
the fRItU. Tre of* th%-CommxuIlcl-liea,! th ; sc sanc for experi~ mhertia
filr andt E~ aC.~ EI ~ Ch? v : d.
icornue d by the Aust-rai, iej Filn) Cocmi u. is io Ii thns 3.3
le rely-pr. 9t of a ge c-nl rat 10n1al 5-r11t il dr'aWing t 0 Leth e
o 1 Ix C. a C ic t teiu wii.
assured by-an appropri~ ate amendment to the Australian. Pijm,
Co0) i issioan Act, ad a spfcific allocal".; on of funds will be
included for the experimental filmi axd tolevIsion purpose
in the Coniission s vott.
To inrS I fvcolvement af St-wce, Territwry aitd lvocal
gove-ifl' 111s, edthrer app~ ar pr.,, a regiofld} org-. S~~ S
t he C A wJ~ lulc ile osa with app-ropriatve nvtbrl~ ics to
begirt a progran~ e of 6svl~ tlc-of ntgvg i'i
or g \ JupS arZ arems wlhJre Vrh of 6tvl-ticiii nighst begiT_
The aoimen-ns tc; mie, 1 6! uV'eraont in tiiw 1
encow., rage-imo-e frovir.. other arLea-s.
In. li7Ti withc-th~ l; vijfeert., ? 4bc-ICv lic-i! 1wiL1l B', Rd Lh
Governxzent t~ Seel: to 0 Ibishl )~ ygr~ i
suppt3Tt for nat-lor] PI CYgioisa itr9, s tbh,-Arts icC, 1:. n C
of Ausralipf the iif Coup. nrA11 of' arid. ir)*~~ pf~ i~
arts.~ m~ n~. ira thfe Sitates -,. would be Go. a ba i -w-itth-r'
eitheT the ant. sor thl stats,-
It not on. r iet, W% 1011at+ ilt S* 10AA D I
f iy ! rt~ act. vitic
The precise UC-Cacc Of cz-g vh a m~-tt& y
of iTti
e xt f-iio r, cs -a vc -C zyo1 i 7q.
I a rs toId, B+ e xXch* ni ' 7f ! It _ rrY 12 t2k Toom Pi. fJ iOrt
benefdt Thp yvov ~~ y~ vrh
Thc Unctqpt f
Advanced3 Allu% C-aticiL a' cor
a r t F is o w it~ k Vh-c4!, C L'WCC t 7s C + L
It ! n4Ast lt-50Ur'e i~ v: rQ. at ttxo
to sethe oasfa li th:-hs -zliff
Opening of this new t+ h-at1-
other pr s io~ m~ c irs in t-l t 1 -a
in Victoria.
it : 15tD uveryone ' s credit that the need was recgaiswd
for a tertiary school of drama -to he lcate d clos; e to the
p0E. rfo1Mi'ng art s cvzPie~ x of the Victorian Arts Contrc, and
that scuch p-roviision way, niade in tho coriginal pilans for the
Victorian College of the Arts.
I am sure you axe all ' very nuclh aiaro of the. d . i t i i sJh v 6
history of the Collfegfv the arts sclhool d" ates back to-the
pe: riod whien Lol~ a Ylontvz was dis. playing hey talents to the
ViCt0Ti'a'; 801d -Miuers~ apd NelIlif: Ste;,, art was making here debut
in the liaymarket.. ziueist h; av*-been held In espi~ cial
affection by the politicialls of 1N~ r Jay, for I bel-' eve she
sang~ thi esra ode at the ope-ning of the first
Commonwealt'h Parliamvnt in 1901
But zipart from its ' liuiks with p-ast history, this collcege Is
also b-reaing new giourid. It brings the ediication of the
fine arid perforning uirts in one courjlt-,. They are usually
separate appendages tc -vartious eaucat. 2onaJ instituti ons.
AS vel the college links the arts with tlha commw~ iity.
The calibre of its teacbVrS is enhanced hy the fact that cach
is it practisiing a~ tist in his own right.
I Piw su-that the~ tr-c in Victoxri; a is abzout to entei a nctw
and distinguished cra withi t-he completion of the thuatre
' no h $ It Gc in St. i ile's Road.
r! axtm at~~~ cii~ sswI thea ~ li na~~ u
Commonwealt-b Governydent to help ensu,-a thast the tbeatre
here develops in Ft highy professional way, and remnaiw; truly
repiesentative of tht: best in Avustralian. drama.
' it is svith great pleasure that I dclare this theatfe. open.