With the federal election approaching, Ausdance, the national peak body for dance, is urging the government to recognise and invest in the vital role dance plays in Australia’s health, economy, and cultural identity. In a pre-budget submission to the Department of the Treasury, Ausdance is calling for meaningful investments in the 2025 federal budget to support a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable dance sector.
The Scale of Dance Participation in Australia
Dance is a significant recreational activity in Australia, with 573,726 adults and 387,617 children participating regularly. According to Fitness Australia, dance is the third most popular form of recreational activity. This widespread participation underscores the need for new arts policies to reflect the diversity and impact of the dance sector.
The Benefits of Dance
Ausdance highlights the multifaceted benefits of dance, including:
- Physical Health: Burning calories, strengthening muscles, improving balance, and enhancing cardiovascular fitness.
- Mental Health: Reducing anxiety, lessening loneliness, improving mood, increasing confidence, and enhancing social bonding.
- Cognitive Development: Improving memory, protecting the brain from age-related neurodegeneration, and reducing pain perception.
- Community Building: Fostering friendships and strengthening communities.
Key Recommendations from Ausdance’s Submission:
Ausdance’s submission focuses on several key areas requiring federal budget investment:
- First Nations Priorities:
- Direct and regional investment in Community/Traditional owner-led long-term First Nations workforce capacity and capability.
- National Leadership, Service, and Accountability:
- Reforming funding models to strategically invest in Ausdance to improve safety protocols, particularly child safety and First Nations Cultural safety.
- Investment in Ausdance to work with the Office for Child Safety to model and introduce nationally consistent systems of child safety regulation.
- Arts Education:
- Investment in well-supported and resourced arts education in primary, middle, and secondary schools.
- Reversal of unfair and inequitable fee increases for Arts and Humanities courses introduced by the Job-Ready Graduates (JRG) program.
- Venue Accessibility:
- Reconsideration of the social, cultural, and economic impact of financial sustainability models of government-owned venues.
- Health and Wellbeing:
- Investment in expanding services for vulnerable and ageing Australians, supported by evidence-based research.
- Evidence-Based Investment:
- Investment in the collection and distribution of data and evidence that address the social, cultural, wellbeing, and economic value of the arts.
- Investment in Dance Workplaces:
- Investment through Creative Australia and Ausdance to support arts employers in meeting workplace health, safety, and wage obligations.
- Re-examination of programs to nourish life-time careers for dancers, such as SCOPE.
- Addressing gender pay inequity within the dance profession.
Addressing Critical Issues
Ausdance emphasises the urgent need to address child safety concerns, citing distressing reports of unsafe teaching practices. They also highlight the precarious nature of dance employment, with dance artists being among the lowest-paid arts workers.
Call to Action
Ausdance’s submission underscores the importance of recognising dance as more than just entertainment, but as a vital component of Australian society. By investing in the dance sector, the federal government can contribute to a healthier, more culturally rich, and economically vibrant nation.
The full submission can be found here.