… in response to Mercury opinion by Vanessa Goodwin: Future is bright for arts sector in Tasmania
The Editor
Tasmanian Times,
Dear Sir,
Re: Vanessa Goodwin Minister for the Arts Opinion Piece …
The opinion piece by Arts Minister Vanessa Goodwin is unbalanced and, once again, the devil is actually in the detail.
The Hobart-centric nature of the article is indicative of a Minister out of touch with stakeholders around the State. Not to mention, the idea that promotion of the arts can be segregated by culture is completely dictatorial and begs the question of what consultation, if any, the government undertook when formulating their policies.
The Minister has failed to point out that the TSO will actually be funded under the NPEA, and realistically this organisation may be the only one that is pushing for classical art forms, rather than just focusing on the creative pursuits of individual artists.
While a direct commitment of $15.3m to the Academy is welcomed, I am interested to see how the Minister has costed the policy, what projects the funds are committed to and who will be the likely beneficiaries. I would also welcome further information from the Minister regarding assessment criteria for the New Models initiative, as it would seem this is the only avenue the Liberal government have provided for individuals or organisations to access funding.
And sadly, nowhere in Ms Goodwin’s article did she make mention of support for contemporary dance. Tasdance is well respected and is Tasmania’s only professional dance company. They are certain to face significant disadvantage under the changes being implemented by the Liberal government.
Yours sincerely,
Andrea Dawkins
