Music festivals have the problems other arts sectors would die for. The logistics are a nightmare — like the recent Harvest Festival — but the fans keep coming.
Articles by Ben Eltham 
About Ben Eltham
Ben Eltham is a writer, journalist, researcher and creative producer. He trained in neuroscience and philosophy at the University of Queensland before spending the next decade as an arts critic and festival director. He was a founding director of Brisbane new culture festival Straight Out of Brisbane and has also worked at the This Is Not Art and Melbourne Fringe festivals. He writes regularly about Australian culture and politics for a range of publications, his play The Pacific Solution premiered at the Brisbane Festival in 2006 and his band Briztronix has released three albums and toured nationally. He is currently completing a PhD in cultural policy at the University of Western Sydney’s Centre for Cultural Research. Ben is a Fellow of the Centre for Policy Development.
My Cup Of Tea: Nowhere to pee, but music fans keep rocking on
Nothing changes in opera — and nobody seems to care
The reason opera is a “heritage” artform is that its audiences don’t want to see new operas. Time to abandon the fiction that it deserves more public funding than anything else.
Money and art: should businesspeople run the creative space?
The common message from much of the social sciences is that the arts and culture are more than just industries exchanging goods and services. They are constitutive parts of our everyday life.
My Cup Of Tea: The problem of being exceptional
Excellence. It might be a goal of our national cultural policy, but do we really know it means?
My Cup Of Tea: Controversy aside, snaps to Australian poets
Australian poetry is suddenly the subject of considerable debate. While there’s controversy over a new poetry anthology by UNSW Press, there’s wider optimism over the health of poetry more generally.
The arts where swords are mightier than pens
While policy wonks gathered in Canberra this week for tax and jobs summits, Melbourne played host this week to an international summit for arts and culture. In some parts of the world the arts can be about life and death.
My Cup Of Tea: Where arts and policy meet in the digital sphere
The Gillard government is embarking on a “digital culture public sphere” consultation as a part of its national cultural policy development. Kate Lundy talks to Crikey about what it is and why we should care.
Transparency please! Why the tax breaks for pokies clubs?
Has there ever been a more self-serving public campaign than the one being mounted by Clubs Australia? It’s time for a closer look at the alleged benefits of clubs to the Australian community.
My Cup Of Tea: Arts policy converging into a government hash
Government arts policy is a hash. The now its Convergence Review — which is posing serious questions about the future shape of cultural policy — is making the National Cultural Policy irrelevant.
My Cup Of Tea: The legacy of our departing gallery gurus
With the retirement of Edmund Capon from the Art Gallery of NSW and Gerard Vaughan from the National Gallery of Victoria within weeks of each other, two of the biggest jobs in the Australian art world are open.
My Cup Of Tea: If the ABC really cared about the arts …
What’s happening to the arts on the ABC? The trend is to cut programs and outsource production, but the broadcaster’s charter — and its talented staff — demands a greater commitment.
NSW budget: razor gang takes to grassroots arts funding
The NSW budget papers contain a $2.8 million cut to small arts grants. In the small-scale end of the sector that is proverbially impoverished, these budget cuts will be felt keenly.
My Cup Of Tea: A digital avenue for Australian musos on the Jays
Triple J’s new digital radio station — specifically devoted to new and emerging Australian contemporary music — is a step in the right direction for Australian content.
My Cup Of Tea: More channels but less local content on Australian TV
Australian content is being diluted by multi-channelling, according to a new Screen Australia report released yesterday.
My Cup Of Tea: No playing around, video games are an art form
The Freeplay independent games festival is on right now in Melbourne. Ben Eltham talks to festival director Paul Callaghan about the festival’s program and some of the trends affecting the sector.
My Cup Of Tea: A political arts discussion with broad strokes
Arts Minister Simon Crean has released a discussion paper on the government’s forthcoming National Cultural Policy. He speaks to Crikey about the competing agendas and the budget belt tightening.
My Cup Of Tea: The costly disease in our backing orchestras
An Australia Council-commissioned report into Australia’s ballet and opera orchestras reveals an unsustainable business model. But where will efficiencies come from?
Raising the roof: US tax hikes, spending cuts will solve woes
What would solve America’s debt crisis? A sensible program of tax increases and spending cuts, combined with modest, long-term social security reform.
My Cup Of Tea: Book barns are dead, long live cosy indies
We can’t save big book barns, but we can save independent cultural retail. It’s independent book stores and music retailers that offer something the big chains rarely mustered: character, passion and charm.
My Cup Of Tea: This Is Not worth funding, says Newcastle council, despite tourist draw
Newcastle City Council defunded the This Is Not Art festival despite championing it in the Council’s own Tourism Plan. Now councillors are questioning the decision.
My Cup Of Tea: Newcastle arts festival shortfall highlights grant discrimination
The loss of funding for innovative Newcastle festival This Is Not Art highlights the inconsistencies of cultural funding. The majority of grant dollars are not allocated competitively.
My Cup Of Tea: Get your Aussie on: defining the authenticity of Australian actors
Australian screen production is still a closed shop and Aussie actors are fighting to keep it that way.
My Cup Of Tea: The perks (and toner) corrupting arts administrators
Last week it was Film Victoria’s $45,000 party, this week Arts Victoria is under fire for a $40,000 printer toner bill. The perks, and increasingly corporatised arts funding, is corrupting the provision of cash.
My Cup Of Tea: Parties and perks a long way from real filmmaking
An expensive Film Victoria party shows it has almost nothing in common with the penurious artists it represents. Its salaried aristocracy enjoy the kind of wages and conditions struggling freelancers can only dream of.
My Cup Of Tea: Hey latte-lovers, art works just as well on the fringe
A down-at-heel suburb attracts artists due to its low rents and ample work space, for instance in former warehouses or lofts. Arts institutions priced out of the inner city should move to the suburbs.
