A living wage for artists

Artists in Victoria are in crisis. Surviving from creative work has become increasingly unviable. Short-term contracts, irregular income and unpredictable funding mean many artists juggle multiple jobs just to stay afloat.

It’s time we properly valued the work of artists, with a living wage to give them the stability to create the work that will define us into the future. To support our artists, musicians, comedians, theatremakers, writers, dancers and more.

The Greens want a living wage for artists, like they have in Ireland, giving practicing artists and arts workers a living wage and the freedom to experiment, develop and create new work. 

Keep live music alive

Live music venues are struggling with increasing rents and other costs, decreasing patronage, and huge hikes in public liability insurance. Several local live music institutions have been forced to close their doors.

The Greens will push the government to find real solutions to support our local live music venues, including a way to regulate or provide affordable insurance.

Support for small to medium arts and screen organisations

Independent, small to medium arts organisations are the creative backbone of our communities. For too long they have been sidelined, expected to survive on piecemeal, short-term funding, fill out endless grant applications, and battle increasing funding cuts. 

Artist-run spaces, festivals, independent theatres, public art spaces, galleries and performance venues spark collaboration, nurture experimentation and reflect the diversity of our communities.

The Greens want increased funding and long-term grants for our small to medium arts organisations.

The Victorian screen industry also needs a long-term funding strategy, as well as more investment from the government.

The Greens will give VicScreen the power to approve large investment amounts for projects without having to wait sometimes months for Cabinet approval, which hampers Victoria’s ability to compete for international production.

Protect artists from censorship and AI

Creative and political expression is under threat. Artists who depend on cultural institutions for a platform and livelihood are being censored and losing work for their political beliefs and for standing up for their rights as workers.

In such precarious times, unregulated AI threatens to steal creative work, replace creative jobs and drain the arts of innovation and humanity. 

Art is inherently political. It challenges us, connects us and helps us see things from a different perspective. It investigates, uncovers, teaches and builds communities. Artists should not be silenced, censored, defunded or cancelled for the peaceful expression of political opinion that the media and the government of the day do not agree with.

To maintain artists’ autonomy, diversity, courage and authenticity, the Greens will strengthen arts policy to ensure that creative funding bodies’ decisions are at arm’s length without interference from the government.

The Greens will work with our federal colleagues to write AI laws which stop the great AI art theft, protect First Nations cultural content and force big companies to pay creatives fairly. 

Protect our art spaces

Affordable, long-term art spaces are crucial to supporting our creative sector, but funding precarity threatens these venues.

As well as protecting and better funding our art spaces like Schoolhouse Studios, Abbotsford Convent and the Nicholas Building, the Greens are pushing for planning protections to safeguard the vital infrastructure that arts and culture relies on, and for major new developments to contribute a “Percent-for-Art”. 

The Greens will also expand the vacancy property tax to cover commercial properties to encourage property owners to lease or sell underutilised properties, creating an incentive to establish studios and temporary exhibition spaces in empty premises.

More funding for libraries

Public libraries provide important resources for learning, connection, community support and creativity. 

The Greens will push for them to be better funded.

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