Platform Papers 15: A Sustainable Arts Sector

Sustainability is a powerful word in today's world of dwindling resources. Arts funding bodies worldwide are increasingly questioning the needs of the organisations they support and the level of dependency. How much more self-sufficient could they become? This essay considers what it could mean for artists and arts organisations, from the strength of their practice through to the structures of their business and the partners they need to seek to achieve their vision. They examine models within Australia and overseas and explore the potential of key stakeholders, governments, non-government agencies and the private sector in strengthening the arts to achieve their goal. And they explore what a sustainable arts organisation might look like.