Today the NSW Liberal Government ignored 13,000 petitioners calling to keep the National Art School Independent and properly funded. Read our speech supporting the community and standing up for this vital institution. 

The NSW Greens oppose the University of Sydney's announcement that up to 50 jobs will go from the Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) as part of the incorporation of the college into the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.  

This cut comes after students, staff and supporters successfully lobbied against the earlier plan to merge the SCA with the College of Fine Arts (COFA) at the University of NSW. 

The SCA will be relocated from the present site in Rozelle at Callan Park to the Camperdown/Darlington campus to 'ensure financial viability' and the university has indicated that the structure and delivery of the current curriculum will be 'streamlined'.  It's proposed that the Jewellery and Object major and Ceramics and Glassmaking components of the Sculpture major in the Bachelor Visual Arts (BVA) will be discontinued for students commencing from 2018.

The Greens believe that these staff cuts and proposed cuts to the arts practice content of the BVA, are a cynical cost cutting excercise which will reduce options for students and have a negative impact on the future of our arts industry.  Major universities such as the University of Sydney should offer comprehensive arts degrees and not cut funding and marginalise arts education. 

The University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney have signed a Heads of Agreement for the Sydney College of Arts (SCA) to merge into UNSW Art and Design.

The college at Callan Park, Rozelle, is set to transfer to UNSW Art & Design, with students set to complete their SCA courses at the UNSW campus in Paddington.

The 2016 NSW Budget brings bad news for public transport, housing affordability, TAFE, the Arts and our environment.

Here are some facts on where our public funds are being allocated.

A Sydney-based playwright, director and theatre producer has conducted an independent study of Sydney’s theatre venues, which has determined that there is both a lack of suitable venues and many barriers for theatre-makers looking for a suitable space.

Steven Hopley’s Sydney Theatre Report 2015 has found that many theatre spaces are used as performance spaces less than 30% of the time, and that independent producers say that finding an affordable venue is the biggest problem they face when putting on a show.

As Australia’s performing arts sector is reeling from the announcement that many performing arts companies have lost their federal funding along with drastic cuts to peak national arts organisations, the real impact will be felt by many artists and arts organisations in NSW.

In the wake of the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) announcements,  Screen Australia will lose $10.4 million over four years, which is the third cut to the funding body for local film and television in 18 months, while a 3% efficiency dividend has been imposed on federally funded galleries, museums and art galleries who will lose $36.8 million.

And while Screen Australia’s budget shrinks, an additional $47.3 million will go towards international films shot in Australia over the next two years - Ridley Scott’s new Alien film and the third Thor movie.

NSW Greens spokesperson for the Arts and Creative Industries Jenny Leong MP said, “This is a terrible blow to our cultural life and to our ability to tell Australian stories, with savage cuts to key arts organisations and to our emerging artists which will impact on us all for decades to come.

The Greens have called on the NSW and Federal Arts Ministers to sit down with John Polson and Tropfest organisers to see what they can do to make sure the world’s largest short film festival is able to run this year.