Protesters stamp their anger on arts funding cuts

Protesters have placed their mark on footpaths around Australia to vent their anger over funding cuts to the nation's peak arts body, the Australia Council.

Freethearts protest

Protesters stamp their anger on Melbourne in opposition to funding cuts to the nation's peak arts body, the Australia Council. (Twitter/BenEltham/@BenEltham) Source: Twitter/BenEltham

Protesters across Australian put on their dancing shoes on today to vent their anger over cuts to the Australia Council's funding.

The 2015-16 federal budget papers revealed that almost $105 million would be redirected from the nation's peak arts body, the Australia Council, to the National Programme for Excellence in the Arts.

The program is administered by the Arts Minister, George Brandis, who said the move would liberalise Australia's art landscape.

"Arts funding has until now been limited almost exclusively to projects favoured by the Australia Council," he said.

More than one week after the budget was handed down, protesters across Australia stamped and danced on sidewalks, stages and work places.



Yesterday the Australia Council announced its June round of grants would not proceed and the Council would suspend its "six-year funding for organisations program".

On Friday, #freethearts trended on social media.

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