Sculpture by the Sea at risk of cancellation due to funding gap

One of Australia’s best-loved art exhibitions, Sculpture by the Sea, which was due to begin in less than a month, will not go ahead unless organisers can raise $200,000 in emergency funding* within the next fortnight.

The annual exhibition, a family-friendly outdoor art fest that sees more than 100 sculptures line Sydney’s famous Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk, is a highlight of the spring calendar in the harbour city. While it draws some of its funding from the NSW State Government and the local Waverley Council, organisers have been unable to secure federal funding for the past two years.

“We received $1 million a year from the RISE Fund* in 2022 and 2023 but we received no (federal) funding last year,” Sculpture by the Sea founder David Handley said.

“To go from $1 million to zero … we spent our cash reserves* last year and that is where the problem lies.”

The organisation was told by the Federal Government last week that it would receive no financial support, leaving the exhibition in a very precarious* position. It is also possible that if this year’s exhibition doesn’t go ahead, it may never return.

“To put on a free event without the Federal Government, which is the biggest potential source of income, is very challenging,” Mr Handley said.

“We are (a) free-to-the-public event, we aren’t relying on box office, we don’t have ticket sales that bring in revenue*.”

The organisers have now begun a fundraising drive to help keep the event alive and hope to raise the necessary funds to go ahead as planned in October.

“It would just take a couple of companies (that) could kick in with 20 or 50 thousand dollars, and some individuals who come with their family every year to kick in $20 or $50,” Mr Handley said.

FUN FACTS
* The first annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition was held in 1997 after the founding director David Handley saw the need for a large community art event in Sydney and was inspired by the backdrop of the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk

* More than 2400 sculptures have been exhibited over the course of the event’s history

* The exhibition spans three weeks in spring and attracts more than 500,000 visitors each year

* With more than 100 sculptures on display from international and homegrown artists, the event is the largest annual sculpture exhibition in the world

* It inspired the creation of Perth’s Sculptures by the Sea, Cottlesloe, which has been held on Australia’s Indian Ocean coast in March each year since 2005

More information can be found and donations can be made at sculpturebythesea.com

POLL

GLOSSARY

• funding: money given by the government to help pay for something
• RISE Fund: Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand, a government program introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to support the arts and entertainment sector which was struggling from repeated lockdowns
• cash reserves: money kept aside to help pay for something
• precarious: depending on chance, not secure
• revenue: money made from selling a product or tickets for a show

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QUICK QUIZ
1. Why is Sculpture by the Sea at risk of not going ahead?
2. How many sculptures are exhibited in this annual event?
3. What year did Sculpture by the Sea hold its first exhibition?
4. How much does it cost to go and see Sculpture by the Sea?
5. How many visitors does the event attract each year?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Design a poster
Design a poster. The purpose of your poster is to convince businesses to donate to keep Sculptures by the Sea a free event.

Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Arts

2. Extension
Design (and even create) a sculpture that could be included in Sculpture by the Sea. Use your research skills to see other sculptures that have been in this exhibition and be inspired.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.