ADAA, ADA & CGA Call for Support for Australian Arts Industry

The Australian Drama Agents’ Association (ADAA), Association of Drama Agents in NSW (ADA), Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) and allied businesses have joined other local organizations in calling on the Australian government to provide support for both the live performance and screen sectors.

With production shutdowns and job losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG), Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG), the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), Live Performance Australia (LPA) and Screen Producers Australia (SPA) have also appealed to the government for aid. While members have welcomed the JobKeeper package for small businesses and sole traders, the ADAA, ADA and CGA are working with other peak bodies in the sector to obtain a targeted and specific rescue package for the arts.

Catherine Poulton, president of the ADAA, said: “Bans on mass gatherings could be one of the last measures lifted so the arts community will be without income for a longer period than many other sectors. Our industry is very interconnected, with the work of businesses, organizations and individuals closely interwoven. It’s not just the actors on stage or screen, but, behind the scenes, the crews, the producers, the casting directors, the talent managers, the publicists, the post-production houses, the distributors, the exhibitors and the venues that are impacted.”

David Newman, CGA acting president, said:: “If the arts are the window into the soul of a Nation, it’s vital we find ways to support the very infrastructure that helps build the foundations of the Australian arts community. Through the support for all aspects both in front of, and behind the scenes we will be in the best position possible for the arts community to play our role, emotionally and economically, in the recovery from this crisis.”

In a joint statement on behalf of the ADA, Sharron Meissner and Monica Keightley, added: “Our industry is a unique one. We work behind the scenes mostly, are often invisible and thus forgotten participants in the arts industry, even in a crisis. Our industry was built on the foundations of longstanding relationships developed and established over many years of hard work and challenges. To lose the key players now would be catastrophic to the arts. Right now, people globally are self-isolating, viewing television via various streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, etc.), the very productions to which our arts industry contributes.”