This is really a sad story for it seems, all too often the government has funds for the foolish things in life but not for those folk that really matter.

‘We have allowed our farmers on the brink of financial ruin to cash in food vouchers to feed their families while hipsters are handed thousands of dollars to “experiment” with paint brushes. But instead of sheepishly pocketing their cash and disappearing into artistic obscurity, these artists want more money.

And the broader community of artists has become so consumed by identity politics that they now want money to be taken away from organisations with too many white people and too many men and given to those with more “diverse” resumes. Their ideology stems from the entitled belief it is their right to pocket the $177 million annual funding pool given to the Australia Council for Arts. The mechanisms by which we distribute tax dollars are broken. Meanwhile, the Australian Government has kicked 1300 Queensland farmers off household assistance. The $244 weekly payment was helping feed the children of farmers battling one of the worst droughts in living memory. Anyone who says we cannot afford to help these people is a fool. We have the money, it is just going to the wrong people. And if we don’t help them, the economic fallout of towns collapsing will be far worse. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg rightly pointed out that Australia’s measly economic 1.7 per cent growth forecast lost roughly 0.25 per cent to the drought. But while we debate how many dollars to send our farmers lets go over what we supposedly can afford. In August alone, more than $180,000 was given to “emerging and experimental” artists. Sydney musician Gail Priest, who describes herself as a “solo electro-acoustic” performer was given $16,000. “I seek to have a multifaceted practice that explores the aural realm both materially and conceptually,” she writes on her websites. Artist Josh Harle was given $46,507 from the same funding pool but this writer cannot work out exactly what he does. He describes his art as an investigation into “the virtual spaces generated by emerging technologies, our encounters with the world through them, and their social and political impacts”. Cool. Artist Rebecca Gallo got $42,435, Lucas Ihlein got $43,300 and something called Fusebox Festival got $50,800. The Australia Council which gave them the tax dollars was contacted but their spokeswoman Brianna Roberts declined to reveal details of their projects. “We cannot provide more specific details about individual projects for privacy reasons,” she said. No transparency, no accountability. They should be stripped of their ability to decide who gets your money, but instead, artists are making a move for even more funds. More than 700 artists released a letter this month calling for arts ministers around the country to revise funding procedures. They want more “diversity” and more money to come from “Major Performing Arts” projects and instead given to obscure individual artists. “The MPA Framework is a roadblock to Australian culture’s growth and survival,” the letter said. “Currently, MPA funding constitutes 59 per cent of Australia Council grants, a proportion that is ‘ring-fenced’. “The direct consequence of this is severely diminished discretionary funds available to independent artists.” University of Melbourne academic Jo Caust followed up the letter with an article in The Conversation where she argued money should be pulled from Australia’s top orchestras, operas, theatres and ballets. These “traditions”, she says, are too European. Too white. “The MPA organisations include ten orchestras, five opera companies, eight theatre companies, and three ballet companies, “she wrote. “These companies are generally focused on the western canon and follow the European tradition in terms of their cultural priorities. “They tend to be white and male dominated in their leadership – Bangarra is the only First Nations company. The very nature of major performing companies excludes all other art forms, such as literature and the visual arts.” Art is subjective, this writer accepts that. But it is absurd to suggest that money should be pulled from our greatest orchestras and given to someone who describes themselves as an “electro-acoustic” performer. And while the artists tear each other apart over these generous grants lets all spare a thought for the farmers who would have lifechanging circumstances with even a fraction of that money.’ https://www.skynews.com.au/details/5daf94ef1de1c4001ae90b80?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Viewpoint%202310&utm_content=Viewpoint%202310+CID_e1d97ab0f215953a240ca46069646113&utm_source=Daily%20newsletter&utm_term=Entitled%20artists%20squander%20millions%20while%20our%20cattle%20starve