Dan Rosen and Paul Piticco tapped for taskforce to ‘steer the arts to recovery’

ARIA CEO Dan Rosen and Splendour and Secret Sounds Group co-CEO Paul Piticco will represent the contemporary music industry on a new government-appointed taskforce to "steer the arts to recovery."

Announced on the weekend, the 12-member “Creative Economy Taskforce” is selected to represent the broader arts and cultural sectors, and features reps from the Australia Council for the Arts, the classical music community, Queensland Ballet and more.

The newly-assembled panel will “play a critical role supporting the return of Australia’s vibrant, much loved arts scene following the impacts of COVID-19,” Arts Minister Paul Fletcher says in a statement.

It’s much more than a talking shop. The dozen industry experts will inform the Federal Government’s work on the $250 million JobMaker plan for the creative economy, announced June 25 following months of negotiations on a bailout with the music business.

Also, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (New South Wales), is named chair of the Taskforce and John Barrington, former Chair of the Perth Festival (Western Australia), is Deputy Chair.

It’s the latest development following publication earlier this month of guidelines for the $75 million Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, part of the federal government’s quarter- billion dollar COVID-19 Creative Economy Support Package for the creative economy.

As previously reported, the RISE fund is intended to supply seed funding to arts organisations, companies and promoters to fund new shows with grants of between $75,000 and $2 million made available.

Paul Fletcher

Next Monday, August 31st sees applications open for RISE and the previously-announced $35 million Arts Sustainability Fund. Applications can be made until 5pm AEST on 31st May 2021.
The Government’s $90 million loan scheme is said to be in “advanced development” with banks.

The $250 million recovery package will help “restart the creative economy, supporting actors, musos, roadies, backstage crew, front of house staff - all the people who make up Australia’s vibrant entertainment arts and screen sector,” Fletcher explained back in June, following months of negotiations with Australia's music sector through Live Performance Australia, ARIA, APRA and other advocates and lobby bodies.

Read more on the Taskforce here.