Australian arts sector protests $224M budget cuts with 'Black Friday' campaign

On June 27, 2016, Australian artists and cultural organizations staged a protest outside Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's office in Sydney, part of a campaign against severe government funding cuts to the arts. Over the past three years, the national administration has slashed more than 224 million Australian dollars from arts budgets, approving only 50% of the 'curricular' support for small and medium organizations. Protesters hung signs on the Nicholas Building in Melbourne reading 'Straya, the Arts End of the World.' A petition on change.org garnered 20,000 signatures, criticizing the government for penalizing the sector and undermining the Australian Council for the Arts, which coordinates many national initiatives. The petition states that independent artists and organizations are the backbone of Australian arts, generating new ideas and talent. Supporters can also send letters to the Australian Minister for the Arts. The article questions whether a similar protest in Italy would gather as many signatures in such a short time.