The Petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that cultural visitors to Victoria in 2017 injected almost $2 billion into our economy, an 88 per cent increase since 2013. Yet, from 2008 to 2015, the income of art practitioners across all art forms decreased by 4.2 per cent. After six years of study for basic qualifications, 60 per cent of professional artists earn less than $10,000 per year from creative work and 42 per cent commit to four more years for higher qualifications and earn the same. With supplemented income, professional artists across all art forms earn a median of $42,200. Comparable qualifications see managers earn $69,500, and accountants, lawyers and teachers earn $73,400. After working a 45-hour week, visual artists end up $2,000 below the poverty line before living costs, such as rent. We applaud the $2 billion injection into our economy by cultural visitors, but cannot ignore the gross inequity. Creative arts are the foundation of this cultural wealth, yet artists live on the poverty line.
The historic green space behind Christ Church, St Kilda, is under threat of becoming a carpark. We believe this space would be better suited for the development of an arts library, with a focus on Australian arts and architecture, an art therapy centre run by artists for sexually abused children and an independent office of research dedicated to addressing policy deficiencies and improving income and employment for artists and art historians.
Action
The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to pledge a financial commitment to the not-for-profit redevelopment project by Artefact Church Square to save the green space behind Christ Church, St Kilda and invest in infrastructure for this space that includes an arts library, art therapy centre and independent office of research for improving income and employment outcomes for artists in compliance with departmental determinations of creative excellence.