Media Release: Investing in Australia’s national cultural institutions

The National Gallery, the National Library and Australia’s other national cultural institutions will receive an additional $22.9 million in the Federal Budget to support their activities during a continuing decline in revenue due to COVID-19.

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the investment will help these institutions continue to inspire visitors and create Australian content.

“COVID-19 means these institutions have lost revenue they would normally get from visitors, exhibitions and donations; this funding will help make up for that loss so the national cultural institutions can maintain their activities,” Minister Fletcher said. “It means our institutions can continue to showcase Australian history, culture and art to the public, in person and online.”

In 2018–19 Australia’s national cultural institutions attracted over 10.6 million visitors (including traveling exhibitions) and had more than 49.5 million visits to their websites. Nearly a million objects from the national collections are now accessible to the public online.

Eight institutions will collectively receive $22.9 million in 2020-21, including:

• $2.3 million for the Australian Film Television and Radio School
• $2.0 million for the Australian National Maritime Museum
• $2.5 million for the National Film and Sound Archive
• $4.5 million for the National Gallery of Australia
• $5.4 million for the National Library of Australia
• $3.9 million for the National Museum of Australia
• $1.2 million for the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, and
• $1.1 million for Screen Australia

“The Government is continuing to provide significant support to the cultural and creative sector in response to COVID-19, including our $250 million JobMaker plan for the creative economy and the $400 million boost to the Location Incentive over seven years,” Minister Fletcher said.

“$27 million was also provided from the Relief and Recovery Fund, with funding allocated in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years. This support builds on the Liberal/National Government’s record funding of around $750 million each year for the arts.”