Sculpture by the Sea 2025 exhibition in Perth cancelled due to lack of funding

Over the past two decades, Sculpture by the Sea has brought millions of people to the shores of Cottesloe Beach, but organisers have announced the iconic exhibition won't be returning next March.

Sculpture by the Sea founding CEO David Handley told ABC Radio Perth he's been forced to cancel the event at Cottesloe in 2025 due to a lack of federal funding from arts agency Creative Australia.

But, the agency said Sculpture by the Sea has known of the funding decision since May 2023, and had not received any subsequent funding application from them.

Mr Handley said sculptors have described the cancellation as a "funeral".

However, he hopes to secure funding for the 2026 event.

In the past, the event has been funded through the federal government Catalyst Fund and then the RISE Fund, which provided financial support to Australia's arts and entertainment sector, according to Mr Handley.

"Creative Australia actually assessed our application in the bottom 30 per cent of applications … you've got to question how that happens," he said.

"Sculpture is a very expensive art form. If you compare it to painting, you've got an easel, canvas, papers, pencils, brushes, paint.

"Sculptors need material, they need to be able to put those materials together and there's as much going on under the ground to keep that sculpture together as there is above the ground."

East-coast orientated

The beachside sculpture event sees the large-scale exhibition line the shores of some of Australia's iconic beaches, including Bondi in Sydney, and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Mr Handley has accused the organisation of being too east-coast orientated.

"There's a lot of talk in the arts world about how Creative Australia, and the Australia Council before it, is a Sydney, Melbourne club. And it's pretty hard to break into that club," he said.

He said the WA government's continued investment in tourism was a positive for the arts industry.

"The WA government has been great especially through tourism and Lotterywest, those relationships are rock solid. Arts ministry, unfortunately it's a zero," he said.

Mr Handley said artists "are used to us pulling a rabbit out of a hat" but claims there will be no hail-Mary solutions and that they "needed the money months ago".

In a statement provided to the ABC, Creative Australia said their funding is highly sought after and applications are assessed in a "thorough and competitive process".

"The organisation was notified of this outcome in May 2023. Creative Australia provides a number of avenues for investment, and the organisation has not put forward any subsequent application for project funding."

It said organisations who apply for funding receive feedback about their application.

It said it was funding a total of $20 million in WA arts projects over the next four years.

'Like cancelling Christmas'

Noongar artist Sharyn Egan has been showcasing sculptures at the event since 2006, and this year exhibited an interactive sculpture depicting Balga trees.

"Bondi get heaps of funding but not Cottesloe. Why is that?" she said.

She said the artworks were about sharing knowledge, culture and love.

"Thousands of schools come there to learn about art and sculpture and other people's culture, like Japanese, Chinese and Indian. It's wonderful."

Different locations

Federal Cabinet minister Catherine King said decisions about funding were made at arm's length of politicians.

"You don't want politicians making decisions about what's good art and what's not good art," Ms King said.

"The federal government put $2 million into Sculpture by the Sea and the WA government has also done the same."

Ms King said she understood applications for funding to Creative Australia were very competitive.

"I do recognise that it's an important cultural event for Western Australians … and I certainly hope there is a pathway for them to continue," she said.

WA Premier Roger Cook said the state government had asked organisers to consider different locations to gain more assistance from the local government authorities.

"There's been some accusations made by the CEO of Sculpture by the Sea that they haven't received a funding grant," he said.

"My government has doubled the assistance over recent years … and we continue to work with them."

Bitter disappointment

Town of Cottesloe deputy mayor Melissa Harkins told ABC Radio Perth she was bitterly disappointed.

"It's a very important part of a calendar each year, we've embraced it as a part of Cottesloe for the past 20 years," she said. 

"It's not a matter of quickly getting the funding because the artists do need to prepare."

According to Mr Handley, only 11 to 13 per cent of the 230,000 visitors who come each year are from Perth's western suburbs.