The next round of Jump Mentoring Grants is due on Friday 22 October, 2010. This is a national program, managed by Youth Arts Queensland, to facilitate and fund mentorships for young artists.

Several days ago we listed the Greens’ Performing Arts policy, today we have the ALP’s Arts Policy “Investing In A Creative Australia”.  We look forward to being able to compare policies if the Coalition releases one before the election.

Labor’s Arts Policy includes:

• Moving funding programs from the Minister’s Department (DEWHA) to the arms-length funding body, The Australia Council
• $10 million for the Australia Council to invest in up to 150 new artistic works, presentations and fellowships.
• Commitments to complete the National Cultural Policy and Strategic Contemporary Music Industry Plan
• Negotiate a new model for supporting Major Performing Arts Organisations “which rewards success, provides greater access for Australian audiences, promotes enhanced artistic excellence, and ensures prudent levels of accountability from major performing arts organisations”

The Australian Greens have launched a policy platform to help ensure a vibrant future for the performing arts in Australia.  When the other major parties launch arts policies during this election campaign we will include them on this website as well.

AYMC’s Erinn Swan was a guest on the Shake Up last friday on Triple J’s Hack talking about the Federal Election.  Hack also covered the I ♥ MUSIC AND I VOTE facebook group, funding for contemporary music and policy discussions about the arts.

Marcus Westbury and Ben Eltham recently wrote an essay on Australia’s need for a Cultural Policy, and re-thinking how Governments make policy decisions about culture. 

The AYMC’s Youth Music Database is an ever-growing body of knowledge about youth music in Australia.

What’s new?…

In their discussion paper ‘New Models New Money’, Arts Queensland and the Centre for Social Impact propose the establishment of a Foundation for the Artist – the first of its kind in Australia – to bring together public, private and corporate funding for artists and the creation of new work.

2010 JUMP participants in Australia’s mentoring program for young and emerging artists