Greens call for living wage for artists to rebuild state’s Dunstan-era reputation
Exclusive: South Australian Greens leader Robert Simms said the Labor party has “swapped the pink shorts for footy shorts” when announcing an arts policy led by calls for a living wage for artists.
A living wage for artists, extra money for live music and the construction of a concert hall are at the centre of the South Australian Greens’ pre-election arts policy, announced today.
Party leader Robert Simms said he wanted to return to the years of former Labor Premier Don Dunstan, when “South Australia had established a reputation as the leader for the arts”.
“We have a Premier at the moment that seems to want to put South Australia on the map when it comes to sporting activities and events, but not so engaged with the arts,” he said.
“We think it’s time to see a real commitment to prioritise that in the next term of government.
“They seem to have swapped the pink shorts for footy shorts, and I think that’s a shame,” Simms said, referencing Dunstan’s iconic pink shorts.
The Greens said its arts policy plan would cost the government $343 million over four years, in a bid to ensure talented artists don’t leave the state.
“We’ve got an amazing scene here in Adelaide, and we see a lot of activity, particularly in March, but it’s often really difficult for artists to be able to sustain their work,” Simms said.
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A living wage for artists would stem that flow, he said. Under the Greens’ proposal, a pilot project over two years would pay 100 eligible artists, musicians, dancers, theatre makers, filmmakers and writers.
They would receive $51,000 per year, equivalent to the minimum wage for a hospitality worker.
Protecting the independence of arts organisations was another priority for Simms, who pointed to the chaos surrounding Adelaide Writers’ Week earlier this year when a Palestinian-Australian author was removed from the program.
This sparked a writer boycott and board resignations, while Premier Peter Malinauskas was embroiled in the controversy after it was revealed he gave his opinion to the Adelaide Festival board that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah should not participate in the event.
Simms said the Greens would move to strengthen the independence of arts organisations through legislative amendments, and would alter the Adelaide Festival Act to make it a requirement to have artists serving on the board.
“It’s really bizarre to me that we don’t have artists on the board, given they’re so fundamental to the success of the festival,” he said.
Last year, Labor introduced the Arts, Culture and Creative Industries Bill to state parliament in November 2025, but it has not yet passed. It was meant to enshrine in legislation the role of the arts and to protect artists’ freedom of speech and independence from political interference.
Other pitches include doubling the live music fund and ensuring that at least 25 per cent of that fund is earmarked for regional live music.
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He’s also called on the next state government to build a concert hall in Adelaide, as well as completing the Tarrkarri Centre for First Nations Cultures building on North Terrace, which remains a dust bowl.
Integrating dedicated arts and music teachers into every state school is another goal for the Greens, saying $50 million could go some way in providing arts education to children at public schools.
The state government has maintained that “Tarrkarri remains a project under active consideration and has been the subject of discussion with the Commonwealth Government and other potential funding sources”.
His announcement comes after the Labor Party on Friday announced it would invest more than $20 million into the Adelaide Fringe over four years.
Included in that commitment is a $1.5 million to support the Adelaide Fringe’s Honeypot initiative that aims to attract national and international arts programmers to the state.
Labor also announced last week a partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to build a new arts and media hub in the CBD.
A new cultural centre will be built at Franklin Street, with the ABC to move its headquarters there and share the building with the State Theatre Company, State Opera and Country Arts SA.
The Liberals meanwhile have promised to give an Art Deco theatre in the eastern suburbs a $7.5 million facelift if they win the election.
The party would commit $2.5 million towards the redevelopment of the Regal Theatre and the surrounding precinct in Kensington Park if successful in March.
Liberal candidate for Dunstan Anna Finizio said the upgrades would make the “eastern suburbs the heart of the arts in Adelaide”.
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