A wide range of activities, including the printing of photographic publications, could be adversely affected by the Queensland government funding cuts to the QCP.
The Queensland Centre for Photography has had its core funding cut by its state government.
As part of a range of funding cuts the Queensland Centre for Photography has been told by the Queensland Government it will no longer provide triennial funding from the start of 2014. The Government has cut the core funding by $170,000 per annum. The QCP has played a leading role in Queensland and across Australia promoting the work of photo-media artists, supporting industry growth both nationally and internationally.
Over the last year the centre presented 70 artists in its exhibition program, profiled 10 artists internationally and two artists nationally, produced one publication for an emerging artist and had two more in progress. As part of the biennial Queensland Festival of Photography (last held in 2012) more than 125,000 people participated in 74 events right across Queensland. The cuts and austerity measures announced in October were applied exclusively to the small to medium arts sector, with the timing of the announcement leaving only eight weeks for affected organisations to find alternative ways of funding or sponsorship. A QCP spokesperson said the cuts would have a devastating effect.
The QCP says its estimated losses for next year are many times the announced cuts to its triennial funding. The larger loss for Queensland of venues, programs, professional knowledge and decades of investments developing artistic talent, along with the loss of intellectual capacity and experience, is huge.
The spokesperson said, “The organisations affected are at the core of the capacity for the state to develop artistic talent. They have been the bridge between educational institutions and the global art institutions in Queensland and Australia. Some were also key exporters of Queensland art to national and international markets; their closure in the mid and long term will greatly set back efforts to promote Queensland art to the world.”
For QCP, as one of the leading institutions of photo-media art in Australia, the first group affected by the funding cut are the 70 artists scheduled in the exhibition program for the year 2014. Other programs such as QCP publications, the Queensland Festival of Photography and its international conference in April next year, among others are in a process of review.
If new strategic partners couldn’t be found, QCP’s key actions would be focused on ensuring the appropriate recognition of the work done by artists, educators and the community, as well as suitably archiving all materials, electronic and hard copy.
A wide range of activities, including the printing of photographic publications, could be adversely affected by the Queensland government funding cuts to the QCP.
