The COVID-19 pandemic is posing significant challenges across the sectors, on artistic practice, activity, business models and financial sustainability for individuals and organisations.

With this in mind, some work has been re-prioritised, with each recommendations’ intent and the scope of work undertaken considered in response to the needs of the sectors both now, and into the future.

The impact of the Arts Plan is already being seen, informing policy, programs and sector activity.

The pilot collaboration grants, delivered as part of our COVID-19 arts grants support program earlier this year, are providing employment for over 112 people and the results are informing a grants stream in the proposed new grants program from Arts South Australia, available to Applicants from mid July.

The Helpmann Academy Creative Stimulus Grants scheme to support emerging creatives impact by COVID-19 is funded by philanthropic partners, donors and Arts South Australia, demonstrating the intent of recommendation 2.3 – the arts investment funding model.

We’ve seen increasing diversity across arts boards, including the appointment of Cara Kirkwood to the Art Gallery of South Australia board, the first Aboriginal board member since the Gallery was established, as well as Maggie Zhou, the Chinese board member of the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust who joined in 2019.

With COVID-19 disrupting much of the sector's activities, many organisations have transitioned to delivering their programs and activities online, including the Art Gallery of SA’s Neo Program. Further digitisation work is being undertaken by the South Australian Museum, State Records, Carrick Hill and the History Trust of South Australia, who is also engaging with the community in record keeping.

The identification of several priority building improvement projects for the Queens Theatre to expand the venue’s flexibility and improve the buildings structure, supporting the recommendations to reduce barriers and increase access to venues, as well as to increase black box theatre capacity in Adelaide.

The Arts Plan contains a number of broad themes, and the projects underway as at June 2020 reflect the interrelatedness of projects, and the holistic overview undertaken in the Arts Plan Program. Whilst all of the projects support these themes at many levels, the projects underway can be broadly summarised under five topics relating to specific recommendations from the plan.

Facilities

• 1.2 – space activation plan to increase venue access
• 1.4 – viability of an acoustic venue
• 1.5 – increase black box theatre capacity

Collaboration

• 1.3 – consortium ticketing system and recommendations
• 5.1 and 5.2 to support increased collaboration across the sector

Support

• 2.1 to 2.5 and 8.1, to review grant programs, to ensure that existing funds and increased grant allocations are focused on supporting independent artists and organisations and a successful and sustainable ecosystem for creative enterprise
• 11.1 – an export and investment strategy for the sector

Digital

• 4.1 and 4.2, to develop a Digital Access plan, digitisation service and funding to support digitisation activity

Sector Capacity

• 6.1 – board capacity development program
• 6.2 – increase Creative Partnerships Australia support in South Australia
• 6.4 – increase diversity across arts boards
• 6.5 – increase utilisation of the Australian Cultural Fund

Telling our Stories

• 8.2 – tell The Story of South Australia
• 8.3 – the 100 objects walk and recommendation
• 8.4 – the Cultural Ambassadors Program

Find out more about other recommendations and their status by viewing the Recommendations page.