Funding for arts and culture in WA

Submitted by Kirsty Lawson on Mon, 06/09/2010 - 13:34

Recently Lynn met some of WA's most successful and talented writers at the Tom Collins House in Swanbourne. They were giving their support to Indigo Journal editor Donna Ward and to film a report for ABC's Stateline. To see that report, please click here.

Donna's critically acclaimed WA literary publication has been forced to close because it was unable to secure ongoing state funding from the Department of Culture and the Arts through the Arts Development Panel.

Indigo provided new and established Perth and regional writers a platform for their work, both here in WA and nationally.

70% of Indigo's print run went to bookshops outside of the state and this led to an unexpected success in promoting WA writers across the country.

One of  Australia’s most esteemed authors, David Malouf, gives us his thoughts.

“Sorry to hear the sad news about indigo—it was important for a great many writers and others in WA, and to people here who used it to see what was going on ‘on the other shore’. It’s almost impossible for a magazine that has serious goals, and wants to make a mark, to raise the sort of private funds that will make that possible, and governments these days simply have no interest.”

Lynn will continue to put pressure on the government to explain why a nationally respected and successful literary journal has no place in the government's plan for art and culture in this state.

For more information about questions in parliament regarding Indigo Journal and Greens policy on culture and the arts, please click here.