Australia has long prided itself on punching above its weight culturally.

Our films win international awards, and our digital games captivate audiences worldwide. These industries are also the beneficiaries of generous government tax offsets that rightly recognise their economic and cultural value.

Performers in Opera Australia’s recent production of Carmen.Credit: Keith Saunders

But there’s a glaring omission. In Australia, live performance – the original and most immediate form of storytelling – has no dedicated rebate scheme despite being the heartbeat of our creative ecosystem. This oversight lags international live performance tax incentive schemes. It also ignores what makes us fundamentally human in a digital world, increasingly transformed by AI.

In the theatre of cultural policy, the curtain is rising. On Thursday, the NSW government will host The Art of Tax Reform Summit at the Sydney Opera House. As Arts Minister John Graham says, “It’s time to talk tax”. The summit will bring together more than 150 policy experts and industry representatives to tackle the sector’s challenges.

The numbers tell a compelling story. According to the latest federal government report, cultural and creative activity contributed $67.4 billion to Australia’s economy in 2023–24. This is a 6.6 per cent increase from 2022-23 and a 45 per cent increase over 10 years.

Before COVID, live performance was a key part of this contribution........

© The Sydney Morning Herald