Arts South Australia was responsible for managing the South Australian Government's funding for the arts and cultural heritage from about 1996 until late 2018, when it was progressively dismantled, a process complete by early 2019. Most of its functions were taken over by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet under PremierSteven Marshall.
History
Arts SA was created primarily as a funding body around 1996, at which time it fell under the Department of Transport, Urban Planning and the Arts. It was responsible for the development of and funding for the arts sector within South Australia, and was responsible for nine statutory corporations and a number of not-for-profit arts organisations. During the period of its existence, Ministers for the Arts were:
Premier Steven Marshall was said to be responsible for the portfolio since being elected in March 2018, but it was not cited as a Ministry role. After August 2018, responsibilities were dispersed.
In September 1997 Arts Minister Laidlaw and then new CEO O'Louglin completely restructured Arts SA. Previously, it had operated under art form divisions, but the new structure created three divisions: arts leadership, professional development and emerging artists; cultural tourism and export; and the development of new commissions, events and festivals. From 2015 until August 2018, Arts South Australia was headed by Peter Louca, former chief of staff to Minister Jack Snelling and one-time Labor Party candidate for the federal seat of Mayo. Peter Louca instigated the re-branding of Arts SA to Arts South Australia in 2016. In 2016, following significant federal funding cuts experienced by several South Australian small to medium arts organisations, Arts South Australia was criticised by Arts Industry Council for South Australia for not providing enough financial support to the independent arts sector. In 2016 Arts South Australia operated with a budget of $140 million, less than one percent of the state budget. It was then a division of the Department of State Development, overseen by the Minister for the Arts. In 2016 Arts South Australia established the campaign "Made In Adelaide" to export and promote South Australian artists at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. After the Liberal Party came into government in 2018, the role of Arts South Australia was focused on provision of policy advice, with other administrative functions being incorporated into the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and significant aspects of the Arts South Australia portfolio being redirected to the Minister for Education and the Minister for Training and Further Education. These changes have been seen as a "dismantling" of Arts South Australia, and were conducted without prior consultation with the arts industry. CEO Louca was dismissed two weeks before the first budget of the Marshall Ministry, and his position of executive director abolished entirely.
Responsibilities
Arts South Australia until 2018
reporting to the Arts South Australia were:
Adelaide Festival Corporation
Adelaide Festival Centre Trust
Art Gallery of South Australia
Carrick Hill
Country Arts SA
History Trust of South Australia
South Australian Film Corporation
South Australian Museum
State Library of South Australia
State Opera of South Australia
State Theatre Company of South Australia
Other organisations under their umbrella included:
Adelaide Film Festival
Carclew
JamFactory
Music SA
The Music Development Office, responsible for the management of the Contemporary Music Grants Program and the Jon Lemon Artist-in-Residence Program, as well as a number of other grants.
Patch Theatre Company
Windmill Theatre Company
Other responsibilities included:
The South Australian Ruby Awards, which recognise outstanding achievement in South Australia's arts and culture sector.
Management of Australia's oldest intact mainland theatre, The Queens Theatre.
