Who’s on Q+A Tonight Thursday 9 June on ABC TV

This week, Virginia Trioli hosts Q+A live from Sydney for a discussion about the arts. The Australian Vocal Ensemble performs a live with Katie Noonan.

Q+A is bringing together some of Australia’s leading artists and thinkers to explore the future of the industry as the arts sector roars back to life. Music and live performances are once again being celebrated across the country, including Vivid Sydney, which is celebrating its 12th anniversary this month, Rising, which has finally launched in Melbourne after several delays, and Dark Mofo, which has enchanted Hobart once more. What effect has the reintroduction of live music and theatre had on you? Have you been able to find work in the industry again, or have you been forced to pursue another career path?

Arts and events workers reported over 374,000 cancelled gigs and income losses totalling $417.2 million as a result of the pandemic. The recently installed Arts Minister Tony Burke is promising to get the sector “back on track quickly”. What will a new minister mean for the sector? Do we value the creativity of artists more after going so long without live events?

Insecure work remains a huge issue for artists and creatives, with research showing almost half of all employees in arts and recreation services are in casual roles, and one study finding just 19 per cent of professional artists in Australia work in secure, salaried employment. Labor has promised to address insecure work and low wages by changing employment laws and supporting a pay rise for minimum-wage workers. Tony Burke is also Employment and Workplace Relations Minister – how will he tackle the insecure work crisis that seems to hit the arts sector particularly hard?

We’ll also explore the connection between creative expression and mental health, looking at how artists, writers and performers use their own experiences to inspire their work and we’ll hear how the creative process has helped them through their toughest challenges.

Darren Hayes, Iconic Australian performer and award-winning songwriter
Katie Noonan, Artistic director, musician and producer
Adam Liaw, Cook, Writer and TV Presenter
Tony Burke, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for the Arts
Paul Fletcher, Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Airdate: Thursday 9 June 2022 at 8.30pm on ABC TV.