ALMBC Advocacy Update 28/10/20
ALMBC Advocacy Update 28/10/20
The past few months have seen ALMBC continue a strategic advocacy campaign, working behind the scenes with Government at all levels to push for increased support for our sector and clearly articulate the crisis situation 2020 has presented.
Your feedback from our most recent membership survey has been presented in a range of meetings and has played a vital role in demonstrating not only the size of the industry, but the devastating impact pandemic restrictions are having.
We continue to advocate strongly to the Federal Arts Ministry on the importance of immediate assistance and we have been seeking regular updates and clarity on the status of the RISE grants program and Showstarter loans. As previously reported the Federal Government have reiterated its commitment to releasing the first round of funding before the end of 2020 and are providing regular updates to the ALMBC team.
The ALMBC has also been actively pursuing a meeting with Federal Treasury as a result of ongoing dialogue with the Arts Minister’s office. A key outcome from this meeting will be to present to the Government a survival package that will address the short fall in Government support felt by contractors and small to medium businesses in the live music sector. Central to these discussions is also supporting the current proposals for the implementation of a Business Interruption Fund, similar to the film sector.
Additionally, in August this year, the Hon. Paul Fletcher, the Minister for Communications placed a request with the Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on Australia’s creative and cultural industries and institutions. The ALMBC prepared and submitted a response to the Government as part of this process addressing the key Terms of Reference as follows:
- The direct and indirect economic benefits and employment opportunities of creative and cultural industries and how to recognise, measure and grow them
- The non-economic benefits that enhance community, social wellbeing and promoting Australia’s national identity, and how to recognise, measure and grow them
- The best mechanism for ensuring cooperation and delivery of policy between layers of government
- The impact of COVID-19 on the creative and cultural industries; and
- Avenues for increasing access and opportunities for Australia’s creative and cultural industries through innovation and the digital environment.
More about the inquiry can be found here.
The ALMBC continues to foster good working relationships with its industry counterparts in the market holding regular meetings with LEIF, AFA, AMIN and the State bodies among many others. This broad national engagment has become more important given the varied state-by-state pandemic responses and border conditions.
We recently facilitated a national industry meeting with over 30 differing music industry bodies to update them on the current fate and state of the live sector following our survey results. This meeting proved to be the catalyst for a series of round table discussions on the state of the music industry more broadly that was managed and facilitated by BIGSOUND’s producing organisation, QMusic.
COVID 19 policy impacting our industry continues to evolve on a daily basis and ALMBC will continue to work to ensure your voices are heard like never before.
