Mature Artists Dance Experience struggles with funding cuts

When Laura Della Pasqua first stepped into a class with the Mature Artists Dance Experience a decade ago, she felt terrified.

It was just six months after she had suffered a massive stroke, which paralysed one arm and left partial paralysis in one leg.

The space she found in the dance studio was comfortable, safe and accepting.

It allowed her to get to know her new body and explore how it could move.

"I walked in with a walking stick, and I could just chuck it out now."

Dance has become an integral part of her life since.

"The camaraderie and the support that we give each other is just beautiful," Ms Della Pasqua said.

Professional dancers partner with mature-aged performers

The not-for-profit, better known as MADE, has been running for more than 20 years.

Its latest show, 'Particles' at the Moonah Arts Centre, explores connection and the wisdom of mature-aged performers.

"You look at everybody's faces, and they're all incredible women. You see how much life they've lived, their strength," Ms Della Pasqua said.

Western Australian choreographer Daryl Brandwood crafted the recent work.

"I'm really attracted to themes of life and loss and love," he said.

While MADE's performance ensemble is for dancers over the age of 50, it also runs adult classes across Tasmania.

Jane Polley has danced with MADE for a couple of years and is performing with them for the first time.

A former dance and drama teacher, Ms Polley has found that working on the show has improved her flexibility and strength.

"The continuation of doing dance is really helping fitness and strength in the body," she said.

"But you don't really think about it.

"It's not like going to the gym and going, 'I've got to do this amount to get stronger'.

Previously, MADE has received arts grants and funding from both federal and state governments.

It was not successful in securing funding for any of its 2026 projects.

As a result, it has relied on volunteers, donations and fundraising to stage its latest production.

Ms Polley said it showed how dance and the arts more broadly were being devalued.

"We've lost a lot of our theatre sector, and dance is struggling. Our company is part of that," she said.

Budget to reveal ongoing arts funding

An internal state government briefing document showed that Tasmanian government spending on the arts was the lowest in Australia, both in real and per capita terms.

Its data from 2022 showed a total of nearly $28 million of state funding was spent on the arts, which included cultural heritage and museums, music and performance festivals, and arts education investment in schools.

The document said investment in the arts had stagnated since 2016-17. It also described Tasmania's funding as "sub-optimal".

"This is a major reputational risk for the government, given Tasmania's national and international brand relies heavily on its creative, arts and cultural sectors to drive visitation and population growth," it read.

Ms Polley agrees that funding should increase.

"Research has shown that we're all much healthier in an environment that's arts-rich and it would be lovely if that was more invested in by our government," she said.

The Tasmanian state budget, which will include its funding allocation for the arts sector, will be announced on Thursday.