Following on from the David Throsby extract published in Policy last week, Ben Eltham writes that the type of art and culture we fund in Australia is largely an accident of history and fashion. He argues that under the current system, large performing arts organisations lobby their budgets into the black while most individual artists get by on Newstart. Instead Eltham calls for a cultural policy prioritising research, innovation, new work, audience development, competitive grant processes and funding for individual artists.