It was a shock when federal funding was pulled recently from Metro Arts. This incredible local arts organisation based at West End has more than four decades of legacy in the Brisbane arts landscape and it was left reeling when it did not secure funding from Creative Australia for the 2025-2028 period.

That sort of funding is what keeps independent arts organisations afloat.

With the 2024 season launch on February 7 looming, newish executive director Genevieve Trace is defiant and has a strong message of survival. She’s determined to find a way through the financial difficulties this shock announcement will almost certainly bring.

“We have the ability to make something of this if we do this right,” Trace says. “It is difficult for a newly minted executive director to step in and find we’ve been defunded, but I don’t feel like we’re dead in the water. I don’t feel unsupported. We are in a really fortunate position where it won’t break us.”

One of the nation’s hardest working arts organisations, in 2023 alone Metro Arts supported more than 400 artists, alongside the development of 32 new Australian works, welcoming more than 32,000 patrons through its gallery and theatre doors.

Notably, sell-out shows, critically acclaimed exhibitions and award-winning productions underscore Metro Arts pivotal role in shaping and enriching Australia’s cultural landscape.

Metro Arts has been an indispensable catalyst for numerous iconic Australian playwrights, visual artists, artistic companies and creatives. High-profile figures such as Wesley Enoch, Vernon Ah Kee, Gemma Smith, Robert Andrew, Liesel Zink, The Farm and many others had their beginnings or were given unwavering support in their early development at Metro Arts.

Reflecting on the broader repercussions, board chair Fiona Hawthorne says the organisation “remains committed to resilience and adaptation”.

“As we navigate these challenging circumstances, we do so with a renewed determination to overcome adversity and ensure that the spirit of Metro Arts continues to thrive into the future, providing a vibrant space for artists to innovate, thrive and create.”

It was a shock for Genevieve Trace to find Metro Arts had not received the multi-year federal funding their next four years of programming from 2025 relied upon. Still, Trace has nonetheless poured her energy into the February season launch (the 2024 season is unaffected) and is already gathering as many signatures and stories as possible for an open letter to Creative Australia.

“I would love to get to 500 signatures,” Trace says. “It will be an open letter addressed to Creative Australia specifically, because one of the pieces of feedback was that they couldn’t see the impact we have. And, for me, that was the biggest sticking point.

“I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. We supported over 400 artists last year alone. There were 32,000 people that came through our galleries.

“The argument for Creative Australia was that perhaps the standard of work wasn’t there. I would disagree wholeheartedly. We have won a Sidney Myer award. The quality is there.

“Why would you defund the only organisation that is solely dedicated to artist pathway and career development?  The feeling within the ecology is that Queensland got a little bit left behind in this funding round.

“From the 109 organisations funded in the Quadrennial funding, 11 of them were from Queensland. So that’s a rep resentation of about 10 per cent when the population representation of Queensland is 22 per cent. Those figures don’t add up to me.”

Trace has been greatly encouraged by the wave of support from Metro Arts patrons and alumni including Wesley Enoch, one of the most respected figures in the arts in Australia today and a proud Queenslander.

“It can’t all be doom and gloom when the programming is so amazing,” Trace says. “We will find a way to get through this because what we have to offer and what our artists have to offer is too important to let go, and we have the ability to see our way through this.

“We just need to do a little bit of soul searching and the strategic thinking that comes with it. And we’ll do that because of the importance of the work that our artists do.”

Realising that the funding decision cannot be appealed has meant Trace is now looking to other ways to keep the organisation afloat into the medium-term future.

The support of the board and patrons has buoyed her and she believes they can make something of the situation because of the organisation’s ethic of care and desire for experimentation and change.

“We do hope to continue to work with Creative Australia on key projects. We’ll still be eligible for project funding. It’s kind of that tricky balance that you play where you need to advocate for your community but still want to have a working relationship.”

To sign the letter to Creative Australis in support of Metro Arts, hit the link below:

Sign the Letter

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