Australia has to take a decision
Australia faces a tough decision: The Sidney Dance Company (SDC), as well as
the three leading orchestras of the country are in dire straits and the
goverment has, in a recent report, suggested that reducing their size might
be the solution. This would, in effect, mean that none of the big orchestral
works could be performed without the assistance of outsiders. Also, no
further loans would be provided for the Dance Company, who already finds it
impossible to repay $600.000. It seems to be the same old problem facing all
comparable institutions worldwide, but timing for the government plans could
hardly be worse - Australia is whitnessing a strong economic upturn and
stockmarkets are booming. This has lead many to ask, why the nation's wealth
was wasted on mere profits, instead of spending it on culture (a perfectly
justifiable question, actually). The situation turned even more heated, when
popular radio DJ Alan Jones decried polticians for their emphasis on blind
liberalism and warned that orchestras might disappear altogether in the not
too distant future. The battle is sure to go into a next round, as the SDC's
artistic director Graeme Murphy has also made his intention clear to keep
fighting for his ensembles future. The decision will be about one question
only: How much is the country prepared to pay for its artistic riches?
To make things worse, the annual Mo Awards, one of the most important
events in Australia's Music world, announced they were on the brink of
insolvency.
Source:
The Australian