The NSW Government announced plans yesterday to help stimulate growth in Creative Industries, by assembling a taskforce of various industry professionals; whose job is to put together an action plan that will help deal with issues concerning the arts, including music.
In another positive turn for the Australian Music Industry, following the Federal Government’s Budget that saw Arts Minister Simon Crean promising $3 million to the contemporary music sector; a press release from NSW Deputy Premier Lis Davies yesterday announced plans for the NSW Government to work on helping drive creative growth by appointing a new industry-led taskforce.
The press statement promises the new ‘Creative Industries Taskfoce’ will help “to develop comprehensive strategies to drive growth, innovation and productivity”, with Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Stoner saying the new Taskforce will “develop a 10-year Industry Action Plan to deliver economic growth and support a sustainable and vibrant sector.”
Mr Stoner also added, “NSW is Australia’s creative industries capital, with around 170,000 people in the State directly employed in the sector… whilst the cultural and social contribution of the creative industries has long been recognised, the NSW Government understands the sector also makes an important contribution to our economy.”
The Deputy Premier also noted that such an investment would help the state’s competitiveness from an economic standpoint over the next decade.
“Sydney and NSW are primed for growth in the expanding global digital economy,” said Mr Stoner, “with the convergence of creative industries and ICT bringing together our leading strengths in fine arts, music, film, animation, new media, and design,” in an attempt to “further leverage our local talent and skills in the creative sector to support the long term sustainability of our economy.”
Members included in this twelve-strong line-up include various industry figures in the performing arts, advertising, design, film and tv and a number of other sectors. Most importantly for music, ARIA’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dan Rosen, will not only be representing the music sector, but also leading the taskforce.
“The taskforce is chaired by Dan Rosen… who brings exceptional experience to the taskforce across digital media, law, policy, and music,” says Deputy Premier Stoner.
Rosen’s involvement is excellent news not only for recorded music and recording artists, but his involvement will hopefully have a positive trickle-down effect on other issues facing music in Australia. Particularly given the recent climate of live music venues being forced to close their doors across the state; and potentially the problems surrounding the battle over Byron Bay as a site for major festival events (like Bluesfest and Splendour In The Grass).
The Creative Industries Taskforce are commissioned with coming up with action plans to help grow the arts sector including two, five and ten-year goals that will be delivered to Deputy Minister Stoner and his constituents come September. While full details of what that action plan might involve have yet to be revealed. Hopefully it will include proposals such as government grants and funding, or attenuating laws that affect independent musicians.
The announcement also coincides with recently successful annual Vivid LIVE festival in Sydney, which Mr Stoner stated, “supports and celebrates global creativity and innovation, reflecting Sydney’s position as Australia’s global city and as a creative hub in the Asia-Pacific.”
A summit event is also being held today in the form of an open forum and ideas exchange between Creative Industries leaders to obtain their perspectives on how to best grow their various sectors, that will contribute to the action plan of the Dan Rosen-chaired taskforce.
