Introduction

Arts policy in Australia has been virtually non-existent for ten years, and in those ten years the arts have suffered enormously.

Today, we bring you an exclusive one-on-one interview between the editor of The Monthly, Michael Williams, and the man who says he wants to save the arts: Arts Minister Tony Burke.

The challenges are huge. From music and live gigs, to literature and publishing, to film and television – every part of the sector has been damaged by years of funding uncertainty.

Then, when Covid-19 first struck, arts workers weren’t supported and many are still recovering from the professional and financial devastation.

The new Labor government is promising to deliver a new National Cultural Policy, to give the sector certainty.

But behind the promises and kind words, will there be any money to spend? And can politicians stay out of the way of good arts funding?

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