On the morning of 4 May, Carriageworks was celebrating its online programming, Carriageworks Journal, in an EDM (Electronic Direct Message) sent out widely to subscribes and supporters. By 5pm that same day, Australia’s largest multi-arts venue had announced it was moving into voluntary administration.
How can an arts organisation fold so quickly? The compounded impact of closures caused by COVID-19, the retraction of regular vendors and venue hires on top of not receiving support from the NSW government through regular streams and in emergency support, collectively have pulled the rug out from under the organisation’s income.
It has also been suggested that the NSW government has not guaranteed regular grant funding due in July.
In a statement this morning, NSW Shadow Minister for the Arts Walt Secord MP accused Premier Gladys Berejiklian of ignoring the arts and entertainment sectors in her various COVID packages, saying they had been ‘left out in the cold’.
Berejiklian stepped in when Minister Don Harwin resigned last month after breaking COVID-19 restrictions.
Read: Why Gladys needs to channel her inner Jacinda, as Arts Minister
Secord said: ‘They can spend $1.5 billion forcing the move of the Powerhouse…
