Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moreton for that neat segue into the Creative Young Stars Program. I am not sure that I will be able to compete with the thespian parliamentary secretary who preceded me. The worth of this project came very sharply into focus for me after I met James Morrison at the Jazz Bell Awards and he told me that 3½ thousand young people were gathering in Mount Gambier, three or four weekends ago, to learn from Australia's international jazz musicians and the LA big band that had flown in specially from LA, which refused to do any commercial appearances. These people aged under 25 from all over Australia were coming to exhibit their creativity.

We know of these kinds of functions that take place all across Australia. We know of young people from all of our electorates who are desperate to get some way into a pathway into work in this area, to develop their creativity, and Creative Young Stars is just the program. It comes out of Creative Australia. This government has undertaken and designed it to help young people to achieve their full potential in the arts, creative industries, community service and the educational sector by developing their skills, abilities and professional connections and, as we said, opening up opportunities for work.

This is a similar program to the program we have developed in the area of sports. We do not want Australians just to be seen as brilliant sportsmen; we also want to see our National Cultural Policy develop in a creative Australia accessible to the young people of Australia. Creative Young Stars will see young people up to 25 years of age with the ability to apply for $8 million allocated across Australia to every federal seat equally. Grants are in four categories, for performing arts, cultural activities, academic endeavour and school and community achievement. The grants will help gifted young people to participate in such events as eisteddfods, public-speaking tournaments and cultural, artistic and academic events—and, just like Mr Morrison recommended, in events like Generations in Jazz, which took place in Mount Gambier for the 25th year.

The first application will be through your federal MP, who can grant up to 12 awards and two group grants in the electorate. Individuals are able to access $500 and groups are able to get grants of $3,000 for groups of six or more members. The grants for Creative Young Stars open on 1 June and close on 21 June. You can visit the youth.gov.au website for information and application forms and I expect it will be of great use to all members of parliament, not just government members. We are expecting enthusiastic participation on behalf of the young people in your electorates in regional and rural Australia as well as right across all of the cities. I pay great tribute to the Office for the Arts which, if members of parliament are not energetic enough, is going to follow up through all the regional art networks, making sure that young people right across this country—not just where there are active members of parliament—can access this wonderful program.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 19 : 00 to 19 : 24

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