this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2026
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Australia in danger of becoming an ‘artless country’ as enrolments in creative courses collapse (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 day ago by Luniio@lemmy.world to c/australia@aussie.zone
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[–] shirro@aussie.zone 9 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

Being a starving artist living on the safety net is more difficult with cost of living increases.

Lots of music came from countries like England, Sweden, Australia which were reasonably wealthy and had some minimum level of social welfare. We lost affordable tertiary education and it is one less place for people to meet and form bands or experiment.

Young people looking at creative careers are seeing management everywhere turn to AI slop and looking elsewhere. Everyone is hoping to find work that can't be outsourced, can't be automated, has fair labour practices, won't put them in massive student debt and will still be around in 20 years. The choices seem to be narrowing.

[–] SaneMartigan@aussie.zone 12 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

It's too expensive to be an artist in this country. Used to be able to work a few shifts somewhere to earn enough for food, rent, art and a drink from time to time. Now a full time job barely pays enough to rent a shoebox.

[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 4 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

It's too expensive to do anything in this country. Took my daughter and wife to Breaky the other day. A meal each. A drink each. $120

FFS It's insanity.

A Breaky for 3 should maybe be $60 or so.

[–] SaneMartigan@aussie.zone 2 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

I get that it's not all on the store but I can but a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread for $10, making 6-12 breakfasts. Sure they're not as fancy as a cafe but it's $10+minimal effort vs $150. Getting to the cafe is more effort than cooking the breakfast, cos I live in the dull outer suburbs.

[–] FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 1 points 6 hours ago

You’re not factoring your rent/mortgage into that cost though, like stores have to, nor are you having to pay a minimum of what - 3-4 staff at all times a fair wage.

It’s not the cost of the food that is making everything expensive, it’s the cost of everything around the food - power to cook it and light the place, wages, lease, insurance, etc.

[–] stylusmobilus@aussie.zone 6 points 18 hours ago

Yeah the only people who can afford it now are wealthy kids, trust fund kids.

There was once a time our decent social services underwrote the development of performing arts but that’s squeezed out now by housing and life costs.

It’s pretty obvious why it’s dying; the same reasons birth rates are falling. The major parties aren’t hearing it though.

[–] No1@aussie.zone 1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

"Peasants do not deserve idle time, and art is only for the rich that can afford it."