Campbelltown Arts Centre recently missed out on Australian Council of the arts grants.
In a double whammy it has been hit by lockdown orders during the past few months and there has been no support for the arts sector in general.
Dr Mike Freelander has gone into bat for the arts centre, saying it’s a “local icon’’ that deserves financial support.
The federal member for Macarthur has written to both the NSW premier and the arts minister in Canberra.
Dr Freelander, pictured above, has argued that the facility ought to be better supported by the State and Commonwealth in these trying times.
“Campbelltown Arts Centre services multiple geographic areas, and provides opportunities to many groups including Indigenous, English as a Second Language(ESL) groups and young people,’’ he said.
“The government has thus far failed to provide any real support to the struggling arts sector, amidst this global health crisis.
“Since the outbreak of the crisis, some of the biggest job losses have been seen in the hospitality and arts sector, yet the sector has been left wanting.
“We need to see long term, recurrent funding made available to institutions such as these.”
Dr Freelander also hit out over allegations the NSW Government has engaged in pork-barelling arts funding into Coalition seats.
“These actions are immoral, and really are a slap in the face to South West Sydney,” he said.
“We have a wonderful local facility which is under pressure in Campbelltown, which has thus far been denied access to necessary stimulus support.
“Yet, in other parts of the state it would appear that money has been flowing; some of it to projects that go against the expert advice.”
