Arts South Australia (previously Arts SA) was responsible for managing the

South Australian Government The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government, SA Government or more formally, His Majesty’s Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of South Australia. It is modelled o ...

's funding for the arts and cultural heritage from about 1996 until late 2018, when it was progressively dismantled, a process complete by early 2019. Most of its functions were taken over by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet under Premier

Steven Marshall Steven Spence Marshall (born 21 January 1968) is an Australian politician who served as the 46th premier of South Australia between 2018 and 2022. He has been a member of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the ...

History

Arts SA was created primarily as a funding body around 1996, at which time it fell under the Department of Transport, Urban Planning and the Arts (DTUPA). It was responsible for the development of and funding for the arts sector within South Australia, and was responsible for nine

statutory corporation A statutory corporation is a government entity created as a statutory body by statute. Their precise nature varies by jurisdiction, thus, they are statutes owned by a government or controlled by national or sub-national government to the (in ...

s and a number of

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

arts organisations. During the period of its existence, Ministers for the Arts were: *

Diana Laidlaw Diana Vivienne Laidlaw (born 1951), commonly referred to as Di Laidlaw, is a former Australian Liberal politician. She was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council (1982–2003) and held several ministerial posts. Early life Lai ...

(1993–2002) *

Mike Rann Michael David Rann, , (born 5 January 1953) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and Australian am ...

(5 March 2002 – 21 October 2011), while also serving as

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

John Hill John Hill may refer to: Business * John Henry Hill (1791–1882), American businessman, educator and missionary * John Hill (planter) (1824–1910), Scottish-born American industrialist and planter * John Hill (businessman) (1847–1926), Austral ...

(21 October 2011 – 21 January 2013) *

Jay Weatherill Jay Wilson Weatherill (born 3 April 1964) is an Australian politician who was the 45th Premier of South Australia, serving from 21 October 2011 until 19 March 2018. Weatherill represented the House of Assembly seat of Cheltenham as a member of ...

(21 January 2013 – 26 March 2014), while also serving as Premier *

Jack Snelling John James "Jack" Snelling (born 8 November 1972) is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor member for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Playford from the 1997 election until his retirement in 2018. Snelling left the Labo ...

(26 March 2014 – 17 September 2017) *

(18 September 2017 - March 2018), while also serving as Premier * Premier

was responsible for the portfolio since being elected in March 2018. After August 2018, responsibilities were dispersed (see below). Chief executives included: *Timothy O'Loughlin (1997?–2000) (afterwards promoted to CEO of DTUPA) *Kathie Massey (December 2000 – 2004) *

Greg Mackie Gregory Alan Mackie is a South Australian cultural advocate and entrepreneur who has worked to promote the arts and culture in Australia. He was an elected Councillor at the Adelaide City Council (2000-2003, May 2020 - June 2022). He was co ...

(2004–2008) *Alexandra Reid (2009–2015) *Peter Louca (2010–2018) In September 1997 Arts Minister Laidlaw and then new CEO O'Louglin completely restructured Arts SA. Previously, it had operated under art form divisions, but the new structure created three divisions: arts leadership, professional development and emerging artists; cultural tourism and export; and the development of new commissions, events and festivals. From 2015 until August 2018, Arts South Australia was headed by Peter Louca, former

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

to Minister

and one-time Labor Party candidate for the federal seat of Mayo. Peter Louca instigated the re-branding of Arts SA to Arts South Australia in 2016. In 2016, following significant federal funding cuts experienced by several South Australian small to medium arts organisations, Arts South Australia was criticised by Arts Industry Council for South Australia for not providing enough financial support to the independent arts sector. In 2016 Arts South Australia operated with a budget of $140 million, less than one percent of the state budget. It was then a division of the

Department of State Development The Department of State Development was a department of the Government of Western Australia. The department was formed on 1 January 2009, out of the former Department of Industry and Resources and Department of Consumer and Employment Protecti ...

, overseen by the Minister for the Arts. In 2016 Arts South Australia established the campaign "Made In Adelaide" to export and promote South Australian artists at the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

Responsibilities

Arts South Australia until 2018

Statutory Authorities reporting to the Arts South Australia were: * Adelaide Festival Corporation * Adelaide Festival Centre Trust *

Art Gallery of South Australia The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), established as the National Gallery of South Australia in 1881, is located in Adelaide. It is the most significant visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of ...

Carrick Hill Carrick Hill is a publicly accessible historic property at the foot of the Adelaide Hills, in the suburb of Springfield, in South Australia. It was the Adelaide home of Sir Edward "Bill" Hayward and his wife Ursula (née Barr-Smith), and con ...

Country Arts SA Country Arts SA is statutory corporation created by the South Australian government under the provisions of the ''South Australian Country Arts Trust Act (1992)'', for the purpose of delivering arts to regional South Australia. Responsibility for ...

History Trust of South Australia The History Trust of South Australia, sometimes referred to as History SA, was created as a statutory corporation by the ''History Trust of South Australia Act 1981'', to safeguard South Australia’s heritage and to encourage research and public ...

South Australian Film Corporation South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) is a South Australian Government statutory corporation established in 1972 to engage in film production and promote the film industry, located in Adelaide, South Australia. The Adelaide Studios are managed ...

South Australian Museum The South Australian Museum is a natural history museum and research institution in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1856 and owned by the Government of South Australia. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace in the cultu ...

State Library of South Australia The State Library of South Australia, or SLSA, formerly known as the Public Library of South Australia, located on North Terrace, Adelaide, is the official library of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the largest public research l ...

State Opera of South Australia State Opera South Australia (SOSA) is a professional opera company in Adelaide, South Australia, established in 1976. History State Opera South Australia was established in 1976 as a statutory corporation under the ''State Opera of South Aust ...

State Theatre Company of South Australia The State Theatre Company of South Australia (STCSA), branded State Theatre Company South Australia, formerly the South Australian Theatre Company (SATC), is South Australia's leading professional theatre company, and a statutory corporation. It ...

Other organisations under their umbrella included: *

Adelaide Film Festival The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, formerly ADLFF) is film festival usually held for two weeks in mid-October in cinemas in Adelaide, South Australia. Originally presented biennially in March from 2003, since 2013 AFF has been held in October ...

Carclew Carclew House, one of Britain's lost houses, was a large Palladian country house near Mylor in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It was situated at approximately three miles north of Falmouth. Carclew House was for some generations owne ...

(centre for youth performing arts development) *

JamFactory JamFactory is a not-for-profit arts organisation which includes training facilities, galleries and shops, located in Adelaide city centre, the West End precinct of Adelaide and on the Seppeltsfield (wine), Seppeltsfield Estate in the Barossa Val ...

Music SA Music SA, formerly AusMusicSA and also known as South Australian Contemporary Music Company Ltd, is a non-profit organisation whose aims are to promote, support and develop contemporary music in South Australia, which it does by providing trainin ...

(formerly AusMusicSA, established 23 July 1997) *The Music Development Office (MDO), responsible for the management of the Contemporary Music Grants Program and the Jon Lemon Artist-in-Residence Program, as well as a number of other grants. *

Patch Theatre Company Patch Theatre Company, formerly New Patch Theatre, is an Australian theatre company founded in 1972 and based in Adelaide, South Australia, which performs works for young children. Patch has performed at international children's festivals in Ko ...

* Windmill Theatre Company Other responsibilities included: *The

South Australian Ruby Awards The South Australian Ruby Awards, also known as the Ruby Awards, are annual awards which recognise outstanding achievement in South Australia’s arts and culture sector. They were named in honour of arts champion Dame Ruby Litchfield (1912–2001 ...

(from 2006), which recognise outstanding achievement in South Australia's arts and culture sector. *Management of Australia's oldest intact mainland theatre, The Queens Theatre (2010–2018; then taken over by GWB McFarlane Theatres).

August 2018 transfers and creations

DoE

To the Department of Education: *Carclew *History Trust of South Australia *Patch Theatre Company *Windmill Theatre Company

Dept Innovation & Skills

To the Department of Innovation and Skills (previously

): *South Australian Film Corporation *Adelaide Film Festival *JamFactory *Music SA *Music Development Office *GamePlus (new - for the

video game industry The video game industry encompasses the development, marketing, and monetization of video games. The industry encompasses dozens of job disciplines and thousands of jobs worldwide. The video game industry has grown from niches to mainstream. , ...

)

DPC

*Responsibility for the eleven statutory authorities (listed above) were transferred to the Arts and Culture section within the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC). *DPC also provides funding to: **

Australian Dance Theatre Australian Dance Theatre (ADT), known as Meryl Tankard Australian Dance Theatre from 1993 to 1999, is a contemporary dance company based in Adelaide, South Australia, established in 1965 by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman . The ADT was the first moder ...

Adelaide Fringe The Adelaide Fringe, formerly Adelaide Fringe Festival, is the world's second-largest annual arts festival (after the Edinburgh Festival Fringe), held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Between mid-February and mid-March each year, i ...

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a South Australian performing arts organisation comprising 75 full-time musicians, established in 1936. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, the orchestra's primary performance venue is the Adelaide Town Ha ...

Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute The Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, usually referred to as Tandanya, is an art museum located on Grenfell Street in Adelaide, South Australia. It specialises in promoting Indigenous Australian art, including visual art, music an ...

*Management of the following awards: **The

Ruby Awards The South Australian Ruby Awards, also known as the Ruby Awards, are annual awards which recognise outstanding achievement in South Australia’s arts and culture sector. They were named in honour of arts champion Dame Ruby Litchfield (1912–2001 ...

** Made in Adelaide Awards (for Adelaide Fringe artists) The biennial

Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature The Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature comprise a group of biennially-granted literary awards established in 1986 by the Government of South Australia, announced during Adelaide Writers' Week, as part of the Adelaide Festival. The awards i ...

are managed by the State Library of South Australia (which is under the DPC).

Online grants portal

, the Arts South Australia online portal is still being used for managing grant applications.

History

Responsibilities

Arts South Australia until 2018

August 2018 transfers and creations

DoE

Dept Innovation & Skills

DPC

Online grants portal

Notes

References

Further reading