ABSTRACT
Australia as a nation has an ambivalent relationship with the arts; on the one hand, it admires certain iconic images, films and music that, for many, represent the national culture. It is important too that the relationship between governments and the arts is examined in depth. There are challenges in the relationship between governments and the arts for both governments and arts practitioners. The arts need government support so that they can pursue many of the possibilities that exist, and governments need the arts because they are a major contributor to a healthy and civil society. A healthy society needs artists because they enrich it at all levels. Often governments are happy to spend many millions on new galleries, museums and arts centres, but they seem to forget about the artists who provide the work that goes in them. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
