Resources and funding - Culture sector news

Events | Featured projects | Call for entries | Announcements

Events

Allsorts Online: The collecting sector, academia, the arts and the media - Adelaide

1–2 December 2009

The Allsorts Online Forum considers the impact of technology and innovation on material culture, exhibitions, documentary history, research, documentaries, publishing, science, the arts, and storytelling. It considers what happens when archivists, journalists, artists, curators, librarians, academics start using the same tools, and whether the lines between the collecting sector, academia, the arts and the media are blurring. The arts, media, academic, and collecting sectors are all represented. Masterclasses will cover Arts as a Living Culture, Cultural Digital Storytelling, Community Building with Social Media Tools and Collections Online: Ideas and Issues. Various locations.

Featured Projects

2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues

October 2009

Volunteering Australia's online 2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues invites participation from volunteers, not for profit organisations involving volunteers, and business organisations with employee volunteering programs. The survey results, to be released on 4 December 2009, assist in understanding existing and emerging issues, trends, and attitudes. The survey takes 15 minutes to complete.

Creative Industries Innovation Centre

September 2009

The Creative Industries Innovation Centre (CIIC) was launched in Sydney in February 2009. It connects creative skills with business expertise, so that new ideas and innovations can find their way to the marketplace, providing jobs in the creative sector and stimulating the economy. Creative industries use individual creativity, skill and talent to create jobs and wealth. But turning an idea into a marketable product or service requires more than just creative talent and enthusiasm. CIIC will give eligible firms access to a free business review, followed up with matching funding of up to $20,000 to implement changes identified.

Call for entries

Manning Clark House 2009 National cultural awards - national

Entries by 30 November 2009

The awards are for outstanding contributions to the quality of Australian cultural life between 1 November 2008 and 31 October 2009, to honour the accomplishments of both an individual and a group. Culture will be interpreted in the widest sense—to cover an innovative project or achievement in creative and community endeavour, including art, dance, film, theatre, history, literature, music, public intellectual life, science and technology, sport, and the workplace.

Scholars and Artists in Residence at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) - national

Entries ongoing

The NFSA invites research proposals from academics, performers, artists, audiovisual industry and archive professionals to draw fresh, innovative perspectives from the national audiovisual collection.  Fellows will use the NFSA's collection to create a new sound or moving image work, a publication, an exhibit, a live audiovisual event or a combination of these and other approaches. The Fellowships offer specially facilitated access and research into the national collection; close collaboration with NFSA curatorial and technical experts; access to the library; modern accommodation; and a fully equipped work space provided on-site.

Announcements

New Chair For Australian Film, Television & Radio School

16 November 2009

Minister for the Arts Peter Garrett has announced the appointment of Mr Michael Smellie as Chair of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) Council. Mr Smellie has been appointed for a three year term and will replace Mr Peter Ivany AM as Chair. AFTRS is the Australian Government's national centre for professional education and advanced training in film, television and radio.

Appointment Of Australia Council Dance Board Chair

9 November 2009

Minister for the Arts, Peter Garrett, has announced the appointment of Ms Chrissy Sharp as Chair of the Australia Council Dance Board. 'I am delighted Ms Sharp has agreed to accept this appointment. Ms Sharp has more than 20 years experience in the arts and will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Dance Board,' Mr Garrett said. Ms Sharp has recently returned to Australia to take up her current role as the Director of the Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas in Melbourne.

National Cultural Policy web forum launched

28 October 2009

Minister Garrett has launched a National Cultural Policy web forum to encourage Australians to contribute to the development of a national cultural policy. This forum is an opportunity to contribute views about Australia's cultural future. This web forum coincides with the Minister's speech to the National Press Club (PDF 120 KB) about the government view on the process for implementing a national cultural policy for 2020. This public consultation process complements a formal 'Creative Australia Advisory Group', 12 people nominated by the Minister in December 2008 to encourage dialogue between the government and the Australian arts and culture community.

National winners of 2009 AbaF awards announced - Brisbane

15 October 2009

This annual award is one of the top honours presented by the Australian Business Arts Foundation and it recognises those making an exceptional contribution to Australia's cultural life. West Australian media mogul Kerry Stokes received the award for leadership and contribution in Australia's cultural and arts landscape.

CMC funding of Collections Council of Australia to cease in 2010

12 October 2009

The Cultural Ministers Council (CMC) considered the review of the Collections Council of Australia at its annual meeting in October.  The Collections Council has publicly announced the cessation of its funding by CMC.  The Collections Council of Australia was established by the CMC in 2004, and the Collections Council has worked to bring the collections sector—archives, galleries, libraries and museums—together.

Cultural Ministers Council Communique - strategies and reviews

9 October 2009

Cultural Ministers of the Commonwealth and all states and territories discussed a Cultural Ministers Council Strategy which sets out opportunities for collaboration across jurisdictions over the next five to ten years.  The Ministers approved a National Arts and Disability Strategy to support, encourage and promote access and participation in the arts by people with a disability. The Ministers also considered outcomes of reviews conducted in 2009 of the Cultural Ministers Council, the Statistics Working Group and the Collections Australia Network.

National Arts and Disability Strategy

October 2009

Arts Minister Peter Garrett and the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Bill Shorten, commended the Cultural Ministers Council for endorsing the National Arts and Disability Strategy at their national meeting. The National Arts and Disability Strategy came out of a consultation process between the Cultural Ministers Council and the arts and disability sector, including organisations and individuals, and with submissions from arts practitioners and arts consumers in the sector.

Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics (NCCRS): Culture and Recreation News - national

September 2009

Recent and upcoming releases from the NCCRS include Cultural Funding by Government, 2007-08; Time Use on Recreation and Leisure Activities, 2006; Perspectives on Sport, Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities; The Sports Compendium: Sports and Physical Recreation: A Statistical Overview; The Arts and Culture Compendium; Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview and Sport and Culture Household Surveys.

Proposed changes to sedition laws aim to address concerns of the arts sector

25 September 2009

The Australian Government has released a discussion paper of reforms to Australia's national security legislation that proposes changes to sedition laws to better protect freedom of expression. The amendments include, amongst a number of changes, changing the title of the offence from 'sedition' to 'urging violence' and making it clear within the offence that a person must intentionally urge the use of force or violence and intend that force or violence will occur.

Australia wins bid to host World Summit on Arts and Culture

25 September 2009

Australia Council for the Arts will host the 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture in Melbourne, Australia, in October 2011. The 5th Summit's theme of Creative Intersections highlights the current global interest in how the arts can give voice to different communities and concerns, through collaborations with business and the economy, new technologies, health and wellbeing, the environment, education and identity through Indigenous, local and global cultures. The Australia Council won a competitive bid process among the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies' national members from 61 countries. The Australian Summit is likely to attract over 500 key people from arts funding agencies and cultural organisations from around the world. The impact of arts and culture policies will be explored, with many delegates expected to bring to the 2011 Summit a specific interest in the Asia-Pacific region.

Playing Australia

16 September 2009

Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced more than $3 million in Playing Australia funding for 19 performing arts companies in drama, children's theatre, contemporary dance, world music and classical music to tour regional Australia in 2010. Playing Australia, the Australian Government's national performing arts touring program, has funded such activity since 1992.

Collecting Cultural Material: Principles for Best Practice

7 September 2009

Australia's collecting institutions, from large to small organisations, share common objectives of collecting, researching, preserving, and exhibiting cultural material from Australia and the world. New guidelines, issued by the Heads of Collecting Institutions (HOCI) are intended to assist cultural institutions to work within established legal and ethical frameworks. Collecting Cultural Material: Principles for Best Practice are designed as guidelines for institutions acquiring cultural material to ensure collections are acquired in a manner that meets the highest standards of legal, ethical and professional practice.

Cultural funding statistics released

September 2009

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released latest publication on Cultural funding: 4183.0 - Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2007-08 covers federal, state and local. This publication contains estimates of Australian public funding for arts and cultural activities, facilities and services across the three levels of government for 2007-08.

Virtual Art Lab

August 2009

The Australian Centre of Virtual Art (ACVA) has received funding from the Australia Council for the Arts to design and run a series of experimental spaces for Australian artists interested in extending their practice into the virtual domain. This twelve-month project will canvas the Australian art scene for people working in virtual environments, conduct a call-out for those interested in participating in a series of creative labs, and develop a series of prototype virtual spaces for selected artists to work in. Ongoing experimentation, creation and review will be conducted over the course of the project, with outcomes exhibited across a range of mediums.

Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD)

August 2009

This youth-initiated resource aims to improve the lives of all young people, particularly disadvantaged and marginalised youth, through the power of music, the creative arts and the unconditional positive regard that music brings.

Adjust Your View: Developing Multicultural Audiences for the Arts – A Toolkit

August 2009

The Australia Council for the Arts has developed a new online resource titled Adjust Your View: Developing Multicultural Audiences for the Arts – A Toolkit. Multicultural marketing is not rocket science but it is complex and requires passion, commitment and a willingness to learn. This toolkit is divided into four sections and each section can be used as a stand-alone component or integrated to assist in attracting multicultural audiences to arts and cultural events.

Key online resources

• artsConnect
• OzArts Online

Institutions and government organisations

• ABS - Attendance at cultural venues and events
• Cultural participation by persons with a disability and older persons
• Cultural Data Online
• Strategic Approach to Northern Territory Government Applications & Participation in Commonwealth Government Research and Innovation Grant Programs
• J Craik, Re-Visioning Arts and Cultural Policy, ANU E Press, Canberra, 2007.
• Australia Council for the Arts - Grants
• Australia Council for the Arts - Research
• Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts - Arts and culture

Peak bodies and associations

• Collections Council of Australia
• Arts NT
• Regional Arts Victoria
• Regional Arts New South Wales
• Tasmania Regional Arts
• Country Arts South Australia
• Country Arts Western Australia
• Arts Queensland
• Regional Arts Australia
• Arts ACT

Featured websites/projects

• CreateBiz - Business assistance programs
• Australia 2020 Summit Initial Report, 2008 (38p 1.2MB PDF)
• Australia 2020 Summit Towards a creative Australia, background paper, 2008 (12p 194kb PDF)
• New Directions for the Arts, 2007 (17p 150kb PDF)