Western Australian Screen Industry Strategy 2024-2034
The WA Government has just released a new Western Australian Screen Industry Strategy 2024-2034
The 10 year plan aims to create:
..a world-renowned screen industry showcasing exceptional creative content and stories to the world.
The “creative content” covers a broad range of skills including management, creative and technical skills. You can read how broad the Strategy is HERE. The most exciting bit is where they commit to growing opportunities for productions to be done in WA. (See Strategy Two.)
Current University Courses
Western Australia already offers opportunities to those who want to study for careers in creative industries.
Check out this range of university courses in Western Australia that teach skills for creative careers.
The ECU and WAAPA courses will be run from the central city campus which is due to open in 2026
There’s a Workforce Development Plan
The West Australian Screen Industry Strategy includes a new workforce development plan that allocates $11.2 million over four years. That’s less than $3m per year. There will be an additional $2 million over two years for a pilot Digital Games and Interactive Fund, which will be delivered through Screenwest.
VET Courses Provide Skills and Industry Connections
If you are willing to truly engage with the courses, do a VET course. You will quickly develop skills and get contacts who will be your passport into the industry.
VET Analogue Creative Careers
Actors, dancers, musicians and set designers are among those who join camera operators, set creators and makeup artists in this industry.
VET Digital Creative Careers
Students who know how to create animation and digital games or how to maximise social media will have skills that can be used across the creative industries.
$233.5 Million Dollar Film Studios for 2026
The screen industry will be able to use the new $233.5 million dollar movie studios which is being built next to the new Malaga station. It is scheduled to open in 2026 and will have space for several productions at one time.
All providers of creative courses and products are already scrambling to gain an important role in this huge new facility.
Summary
The West Australia Screen Industry Strategy looks soft.
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The government is investing $31.9 million over 4 years. That’s less than $8m per year across the whole of Western Australia. Regional Western Australia is part of the plan, so those dollars will be spread thin. One new school costs double that. The new Bayswater Station precinct cost $253 million.
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There is no lead agency with responsibility to drive the strategy. There is to be a Screen Industry Development Team which is chaired by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Members of the Team will report back to their Ministers, but as their Ministers don’t have prime responsibility for implementing the strategies, I don’t see screen industry strategies getting a priority.
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The Workforce Development Plan aims to build industry skills but students are not eligible for project funding under the Screenwest Terms of Trade pp 3 & 4.Students will not have access to strategy funding to attempt to build professional products and skills.
West Australian students who seek a career in the screen industry are going to be disappointed. $8m per year will not deliver a world-renowned screen industry showcasing exceptional creative content and stories to the world.
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