Safeguarding Victoria's great cultural treasures is the key focus of a boost for the arts announced today as part of the 2012-13 State Budget.

Premier and Minister for the Arts Ted Baillieu today visited the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in Southbank to unveil details of the Victorian Coalition Government's $24 million package for the VCA announced in the 2011-12 Victorian Budget.

Victorians can expect more big name acts, more free programming and more belly laughs from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival thanks to a multi-million dollar boost to the festival's funding announced in the 2011-12 Victorian Budget.

Victoria's public spaces will be transformed by the presence and energy of sculpture under a new $1 million initiative funded in today's 2011-12 Victorian Budget.

The finals of Australia's most prestigious international chamber music competitions have been secured at the Melbourne Recital Centre thanks to a $400,000 four-year commitment from the Coalition Government announced in the 2011-12 Victorian Budget.

The Victorian Coalition Government will pave the way forward for Melbourne's Southbank Cultural Precinct with a $500,000 commitment in the 2011-12 Budget to create a blueprint for future development of the area.

The return of the world-famous Circus Oz to its birthplace in Collingwood has been supported by the Victorian Coalition Government, which has provided a $15 million capital grant for the troupe in the 2011-12 Victorian Budget.

The future of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) has never been brighter after a $24 million funding boost announced as part of the 2011-12 Victorian Budget.

The State Library of Victoria has received a $5.6 million funding boost in the 2011-12 Victorian Budget to help respond to a massive increase in visitor numbers and rising demand for digitally-delivered information.

The Victorian Coalition Government's commitment to nurturing creative talent, making the arts more visible and accessible across the state and building on the strength and diversity of Victoria's arts sector has been backed by a $73 million boost to the arts in the 2011-12 Victorian Budget.

A $4 million package of regional arts initiatives announced in today's Budget will help transform and enrich small towns and regional communities across Victoria.

Programs for culturally and linguistically diverse artists are set to grow with a $480,000 funding boost to Multicultural Arts Victoria in the 2011-12 Victorian Budget.

Local community groups will have the opportunity to preserve, share and celebrate their stories, thanks to $1.66 million funding delivered in today's 2011-12 Victorian Budget.