In February this year, artsACT, the ACT’s Government’s arts agency, released it Strategic Directions Statement for Theatre in the ACT for 2010-2013.

Previously, in March 2009, artsACT released a draft Statement and called for public comment, subsequently registering 18 submissions. A Working Group was formed by the ACT Cultural Council in order to assist in the development of the Statement. The Group was comprised of suitable Cultural Council members, two local theatre practitioners and several artsACT staff.

The needs of young audiences were addressed via submissions from Canberra Youth and Jigsaw Theatres which separately provided submissions to the Working Group both before and after the draft Statement was released. Canberra Youth Theatre wanted the Statement to support a whole-of-government approach, which stressed the importance of pathways into professional practice. Jigsaw Theatre Company, too, advocated for a vital professional sector. Such a concern for the needs of professional theatre practitioners is symptomatic of a jurisdiction which is home to 18 amateur theatre groups. This vast number, for a small region, notably eclipses the work of the two professional theatre organisations – Jigsaw Theatre Company and The Street Theatre. Of course, too, Canberra Youth Theatre is funded by artsACT as a key arts organisation. It is no wonder, given the dominance of amateur performances, that Canberra Youth Theatre and Jigsaw crave visibility in ACT’s distorted theatre landscape.

In the final Statement, a philosophical framework is markedly absent. Beyond the discourse of community consultation, there is no other discussion that reveals the beliefs or theories, which have informed the ACT Government’s Strategic Direction Statement. This is a significant omission especially given that one of the strategies in the Statement is the development of a culture of critical debate.

The final Statement also supports engagement and participation in amateur theatre. It is fair to argue that this emphasis in a government arts statement is somewhat misplaced given that government support in the arts, throughout Australia, was initiated in order to develop and maintain a professional arts industry. This may be explained by the fact that the ACT Government fulfils the role of both a local council as well as a territory government within the Commonwealth.

Nevertheless, while there is nothing wrong with amateur theatre, it can be deemed regrettable that artsACT would choose to be an apologist for the work of amateur theatre groups. However, it is not surprising, given the large number of theatrical hobbyists in the ACT, that local government should seek to appease the same in order to win votes. It could be argued, of course, that this is not the Government’s motive. However, given that the Statement is a mere shopping list of tasks, devoid of theoretical discussion, one cannot be sure either way.

Nevertheless, the Statement does include strategies to support professional theatre practitioners, the development of theatre infrastructure and national visibility of ACT’s theatre culture. Time will tell if this will be achieved or whether the status quo will be maintained. In the meantime, in the midst of a dominant amateur theatre culture, ACT ticket buyers will need to draw their own maps in order to navigate their way to local professional theatre performances.

The Theatre in the ACT Strategic Directions Statement 2010-2013 can be downloaded at: http://www.arts.act.gov.au/pages/page162.asp