2020-21 Draft budget response

Thanks for helping out!

The gist of TTT’s support for the Multi-disciplinary Arts Collective is given below.

Please take all or part of the information and make it your own by writing an email or letter to your Surf Coast Ward Councillor (see list here). You should use your own phrasing and emphasis but please don’t change the detail.

Please make sure you:

  • include your name/signature
  • send a copy to TTT (secretary@ttt.org.au) and
  • request a response.

INFORMATION:

As a strong supporter of the arts, both performing and visual, I was disappointed to see that there was no allocation of funds for a theatre/arts complex in the 2020-21 Draft Budget. The August 2019 decision by Council to sanction the Sport & Recreation Centre to provide a performing arts theatre and gallery gave great hope and encouragement to those of us who appreciate local art in the community.

I understand that there is a committee called Multidisciplinary Arts Collective (MAC) who have delivered a comprehensive document to the Council on how to manage such an arts centre in Torquay. The lack of proposed funding in the Draft Budget 2020-2021 to enable MAC to continue planning for the development and management of a facility, indicates a serious lack of commitment to art and culture in the Surf Coast Shire.

This is a blow to the arts community at a time when, more than ever, artists are struggling and the community desperately needs cultural engagement to buoy them during the difficult times the world is experiencing. A formal response to the MAC and the allocation of a suitable line item in the 2020-2021 Surf Coast Shire Budget would provide some level of assurance that this project is supported by Surf Coast Shire Council.

I would suggest that without such assurance the MAC will find it very difficult to continue community engagement and fundraising activities with any authority.

I respectfully request the allocation of the sum of $60,000 for MAC in the 2020-2021 Surf Coast Shire Budget.

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