Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think we all remember having that wobbly, nervous feeling in the pit of our stomachs before stepping onto stage for a performance in primary or high school. To share our talents with our families in the school community was easier for some than for others. However daunting performances were for some, it was good for us and aided our growth and development. Students who did drama, art or music would know that those skills can bring a lifetime of fulfilment. Our arts minister, the member for Watson, and our other musically and artistically inclined MPs in this place would understand the passion and satisfaction of the arts. That is why the Albanese Labor government truly understands the important role the arts can play in building a stronger and more inclusive society—lived experience of and through the arts. We often talk about lived experiences when referring to mental health, and a little later I will speak about mental health.

It is clear that the societal benefits reach further and can build a more diversified economy and a more skilled workforce. Our new national cultural policy, Revive, recognises the contribution that the arts and cultural sector also makes to other portfolios. There are many areas in which the arts make a positive contribution to important policy objectives, including education, the environment, tourism, regional development, and foreign affairs and trade. Positives can abound in health, mental health and issues affecting First Nations Australians.

Within my electorate of Pearce, arts are an integral part of so many lives and bring sheer joy to thousands of people. We have many schools, public and private, that offer excellent art programs, which include dance, music and visual and dramatic arts. The Subih brothers, who are from the electorate of Pearce, received the Golden Buzzer when they appeared on Australia's Got Talent. We also have Jordan Anthony, who was a finalist in The Voiceon Delta Goodrem's team. This indicates clearly the importance of amateur theatre and all that the arts can provide. The Limelight Theatre, where many good budding actresses and actors start, is a great starting point for them. Ukelele groups, dance troupes, craft groups, youth bands, brass bands and so much more provide a great platform for our youth.

A high school student from the suburb of Clarkson, Indigo Ellis, who is a talented First Nations singer and songwriter, won a local talent competition called Search for a Star and performed with the Perth Symphony Orchestra at the Symphony Under the Stars. Our fantastic local Challenge Brass Band has been bringing tremendous joy to the community for many years. Let's not forget the amazing Snapshot Youth Theatre Company and One Big Voice, both of which I am very proud to be patron of. Indigo Ellis has been chosen as an ambassador for the Valuing Children Initiative. VCI is passionate about giving a voice to young people, and what better voice than Indigo, who is equally as passionate? Without even knowing it, Indigo Ellis is championing the heart and mission of Revive.

In Pearce, the song 'Impressions of You' was written to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and to help a mother and father cope with the grief of losing their son to cancer. Tony Hughes from Mindarie wrote a song to help his neighbours Colin and Wendy Herbert deal with the immense grief of losing their son Mark to pancreatic cancer last year. The song was part therapy and part gift to Tony's friends, who were left devastated by the death of their beloved son. Tony, Colin and Wendy are all musicians, and the project brought people together. It's an excellent example of arts in the wider community.

Revive invests in education by providing $2.6 million to support specialist in-school arts education programs. In the areas of health and mental health, Revive provides pilot funding of $4.2 million to support access to art and music therapy programs. In the disability space, we're delivering an arts and disability associated plan under Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031. The Department of Social Services is investing more than a million dollars of funding for arts projects that serve policy objectives in that portfolio. The funding includes $340,000 for Big hART for First Nations youth aged 12 to 18 in outback Western Australia.

It is clear that the arts and cultural sector provides benefits far beyond the arts community itself and that Revive will begin repairing the damage caused by a decade of neglect of the arts by the previous government. Thank you very much, and I commend the act to you. I truly appreciate the work and the understanding that the Albanese Labor government has for the arts and its importance within our community.

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