ACT arts review: more info please

Posted on December 6, 2014 by childers

Preamble: the ACT Government, through artsACT, is currently reviewing its ‘Arts Policy Framework’. The Childers Group has written to the ACT Minister for the Arts, Joy Burch MLA, asking about the scope of the review, the consultation process, and the timing, as this information is not currently available on artsACT’s website. There has been some discussion in the ACT Legislative Assembly about the review of the arts policy, a transcript of which can be found here (the relevant discussion starts at p107).

24 November 2014

Joy Burch MLA
Minister for the Arts
ACT Government
via email: burch@act.gov.au

Dear Ms Burch,

ACT ARTS POLICY FRAMEWORK REVIEW

The Childers Group writes to ask questions about the ACT Government’s review of the ACT Arts Policy Framework, which we understand is currently taking place.

The ACT Government’s arts policy is being reviewed, but how will the arts sector be involved?

The Childers Group congratulates the ACT Government for developing the original Arts Policy Framework. As you no doubt agree, it is critical for the ACT Government to have a document that can guide decision-making and also provide a policy context for funding decisions. This is especially important when, now that our region is on the other side of the Centenary of Canberra celebrations, there are a number of key issues facing the arts sector: appropriate and sustainable levels of funding; provision of and support for a high-class network of facilities and venues; and maximising opportunities for all those in our communities to access arts activities of excellence.

The Group is also pleased that the ACT Government, through artsACT, is currently reviewing the document to ensure it meets needs and expectations.

However, we have questions about the review process:

What is the scope of the review? Is it a refresh of the policy or a rethink?
How will the ACT region’s arts community be able to provide input into the review process?
What is the review’s timeline? When are the community engagement points, and when will a draft be made available for comment? When will the final document be publicly available?

The ACT’s key arts organisations are well-placed to connect with their membership and communities to provide informed comment on draft proposals. Further, there are other organisations allied to the arts and the ACT who would be able to enrich the process. Of course, many of our eminent artists would also wish to contribute.

The Childers Group believes that the arts should not be left to the periphery; the arts should be at the centre of society. Good policy development, with a process that involves the arts sector and the community broadly, is a significant part of making this happen.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Professor David Williams
Spokesperson

ACT BUDGET SUBMISSION 2015-16

Posted on October 18, 2014 by childers

10 October 2014

ACT Budget Consultation
Treasury Directorate
ACT Government
GPO Box 158
CANBERRA ACT 2601

THE CHILDERS GROUP: ACT BUDGET SUBMISSION 2015-16

The Childers Group welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the 2015-16 ACT Government Budget development process.

We are committed to advocating for the arts sector as we believe creativity and engagement in the arts are vital components of a healthy city. The ACT Budget is an opportunity to make adequate provision for the arts to flourish in our city. The Childers Group is an independent arts forum whose advocacy is based on the principles of:

independence;
objectivity;
valuing the arts; and
pride in Australia’s national capital city and the surrounding region.

The Childers Group is pleased to note the ACT Government’s continuing commitment to improving liveability and opportunity, better health and education outcomes and urban renewal. The funding and demonstrated commitment to a number of arts initiatives in the 2014/15 budget were welcomed by the Childers Group but, as we have made clear, we remain concerned about the capacities of the present level of arts funding to sustain a vibrant arts sector in the longer term.

Our submission focuses on the contribution the arts sector can play in:

enhancing liveability and opportunity;
2. making Canberra healthy and smart.

Engagement and participation in the arts contribute to a healthy and smart city

Whatever form they take, the arts transform, chronicle and illuminate the world around us. The arts contribute to the quality of life in the ACT and are central to enhancing liveability and creating opportunities enlivening life in our community. The ACT enjoys a national reputation in terms of its participation in the arts. We should invest in that reputation. Similarly, we lead the nation in attendance at cultural events. The ACT Government can – and should – build on that.

Canberra is experiencing the maturation of a wide range of arts activity with a rich and exciting array of arts events and programs. These activities challenge our perceptions, inspire confidence, and create cohesion in our community. Professional arts activity across a broad range of art forms and community engagement in the arts are indicators of a healthy and smart life-style in a very liveable Canberra.

There is ample evidence, both in terms of qualitative and quantitative data, in particular from the UK, indicating a high return in terms of community well-being, on government investment in the arts and arts infrastructure.

In addition to the benefits to our immediate community, the arts represent a major attraction for tourists and visitors to Canberra and the surrounding region. The region offers considerable choice by way of galleries, craft outlets, theatres, the national cultural institutions and significant local facilities such as the Canberra Glassworks. Our city has become an attractive destination in terms of our cultural facilities and the lifestyle attractions, e.g. a lively arts and cultural events calendar, excellent wineries and great restaurants. In order for our arts and cultural sector to build on its capacity to serve both its local community and develop the visitor economy, high-quality programming and professional personnel are essential.

RECOMMENDATION 1: Ensure the continuing viability of our Key Arts Organisations and arts facilities.

The Childers Group strongly urges the ACT Government to ensure enhanced funding for ACT Key Arts organisations and arts infrastructure with CPI+ increases granted on an annual basis. The Childers Group is concerned to note the continuing pressure on Key Arts Organisations in particular, the diminishing capacity to attract – and then retain – professional staff to the ACT. This remains a critical issue as increased costs associated with programming and salaries, along with the pressure to contain operational overheads, results in arts organisations unable to offer financial incentives and professional development opportunities to valued staff members. Fair payment of ACT arts workers’ salaries commensurate with their skills and experience will ensure that the National Capital attracts qualified people with the necessary expertise to manage Canberra’s arts and cultural services. It will also ensure the efficient and sound management of the ACT’s key arts facilities.

RECOMMENDATION 2: Ensure appropriate funding for the alignment of ACT arts sector salaries with those of the community sector.

The Childers Group recommends that the salaries of our professional arts managers are benchmarked with salaries in the Community Service sector and with arts personnel in other states and territories. There is no real benchmarking for arts-workers’ salaries, in particular for administrative/senior management personnel, other than information obtained through informal networks. The National Association for the Visual Artists can provide some guidance, but this is not cross–sectoral. We understand the Chief Minister, Treasurer and the Economic Development Directorate (CMTEDD) have commenced an audit of the economic impact of the arts sector on the ACT economy. This is an important initiative. The Childers Group would welcome further information being made available to the sector on the scope of the consultancy and the anticipated timeframe for completion.

Conclusion:
The Childers Group strongly urges the ACT Government to consider increased investment in the arts budget. Our city is internationally recognised as one of the world’s most liveable cities and the Murrumbateman Yass Valley region is classified as one of the fastest growing in NSW. It is imperative that artists and highly skilled arts workers are attracted to come and stay here and continue to nurture the creative engagement within our city and the wider community.

Information about the images used in this post:
Presented by Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre in partnership with ACT Parks and Conservation Service, the Gudgenby Ready-Cut Cottage Artist-in-Residencies Program in the Namadgi National Park delivers individual residencies, a forum, workshops, artist talks, open days and a group exhibition.

Images courtesy of Andrew Sikorski.

Forum update 6: the feedback

Posted on October 11, 2014 by childers

After a bit of a lie-down, your Arts Leadership Forum planning team has gone through the feedback sheets and collated participant thoughts and reflections on the event. Here’s a summary document: Arts Leadership Forum 2014 – Participant Feedback Report – October 2014. If you weren’t able to provide your feedback on the day, you’re welcome to email us on childersgroup@gmail.com. All feedback and ideas we receive go into the planning for our next forum, which we anticipate will be in 2015. While we’ve got you, if you hear of some interesting (read: potentially concerning) developments going in the world of the arts in the ACT region, drop us a line about that too.

Forum update 6: thank you, one and all, and some things to watch and read

Posted on September 13, 2014 by childers

THANK YOU to all the participants, presenters and panelists at the Arts Leadership Forum, which was held in partnership with the Cultural Facilities Corporation on 1 September. For those who attended, we hope that there were a wide range of ideas, challenges and solutions discussed and explored, and that you will head out into the world and take the arts community just that little further forwards.

Below is a video of the final plenary session and two responses to the Forum. If you see any other responses, or have written one yourself, please do let us know so we can add it to the list.

Final Plenary Session: For love or money? (video)

Take us by the hand, arts leaders, and tread softly by Sarah St Vincent Welch

Arts leaders engage by Nigel Featherstone, published in BMA Magazine

Forum update 2: all about the speakers

Posted on August 22, 2014 by childers

On 1 September 2014, together with our event partner the Cultural Facilities Corporation, we’ll be presenting the Arts Leadership Forum, our only forum for the year. Biographical details for our presenters, panelists and MCs are below.

Daniel Ballantyne
Daniel is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Belconnen Arts Centre. He has 20 years’ experience in leadership roles with arts, live performance and cultural organisations, working in public and private sectors. He has held leadership roles in Newcastle’s Civic and Cultural Precinct, Sydney SuperDome Olympic Park, NIDA, State Theatre Sydney and the Adelaide Entertainment and Festival Centres. Daniel was elected as an Executive Councillor with Live Performance Australia, the first from a non-metropolitan base. Daniel believes that organisational success requires that the conditions exist for individuals to choose cohesion and tolerance and to become energised through the discovery of a shared purpose.

Shane Breynard
Shane is the Director of Canberra Museum and Gallery and ACT Historic Places. He is passionate about the creative and community life of the Canberra region, and is interested in the opportunities and implications posed for museums by our increasing use of online technologies. Shane sits on the Canberra Hospital’s Arts in Health Committee and assists in the assessment of applications to the Australia Council for the Arts as a Peer. He studied at the ANU School of Art where he was awarded a first class honours degree, the university medal and a master of arts degree by research. He subsequently gained a second masters degree, in environment, from the University of Melbourne. In 2000 Shane was awarded an Australian Council for the Arts grant to work in collaboration with a young artist in Brasilia, one of the Southern Hemisphere’s other great planned capital cities. He has worked as managing editor of Art Monthly Australia, as a cultural planner and in a number of government arts policy and arts infrastructure roles. Shane was previously advisor, and Chief of Staff, to the former ACT Chief Minister and Minister for the Arts, Jon Stanhope.

Janine Collins
Janine is Creative Partnerships Australia’s State Manager for NSW and ACT. Janine has extensive experience in strategic and financial planning, business development, change management, publicity, marketing and training. In her recent role as Development Director of Sydney Dance Company, she increased philanthropic giving exponentially. Janine was also responsible for growing the development programs at Sydney Writer’s Festival and Belvoir Street Theatre during periods of transition. Janine has consulted widely to the independent arts sector and is an experienced Board member who has held executive roles in the education and training sector and has provided consulting services in international marketing for government, universities and the private sector prior to focusing on the arts.

Julie Dyson AM

Julie Dyson

Julie was the National Director of Ausdance from 1985 until her retirement in 2012. She assisted the organisation through many stages of its development, and her experience includes overseeing organisational change, development of Ausdance policy for dance in Australia, advice to funding bodies, government departments, companies and individual artists, andstrategic planning for large-scale projects and national partnerships. She was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award for Administration in 1994 and received the Australian Dance Award for Lifetime Achievement and for Services to Dance. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2007. Since 2012 Julie has continued to chair the National Advocates for Arts Education and is an adviser for the Australian Dance Awards, the 2015 National Dance Forum and Sydney Dance Company’s education program. She is a member of the Childers Group and the World Dance Alliance Global Executive.

Harriet Elvin
Harriet has held a range of senior executive roles for over twenty years, primarily in the arts sector. She holds tertiary qualifications in classics, law, international law, business administration, art history and curatorship. Harriet is the CEO of the Cultural Facilities Corporation, which manages the Canberra Theatre Centre and the Canberra Museum and Gallery, together with historic sites Lanyon, Calthorpes House and Mugga-Mugga. Her current board and committee appointments include those with the Australiana Fund, the ACT Inclusion Council, and the Canberra Regional Council of the Australian Institute of Management. Harriet is a former Telstra ACT Businesswoman of the Year and received a Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in business leadership. Her particular interests in the field of leadership and management include arts leadership and mentoring women into senior roles, while her personal interests in the arts include writing short plays, a number of which have been performed in festivals of 10-minute plays such as Short+Sweet.

Joseph Falsone
Joseph joined Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres as Director in 2012. He is working with resident artists and organisations, a new team of staff, and the broader community, to renew the centres as leading contemporary arts venues that enrich the cultural life of the city and region. Joseph previously worked as Executive Director at M16 Artspace, where he led organisational renewal and oversaw the redevelopment of the Blaxland Centre in Griffith as well as a significant exhibition program. His wider arts sector experience includes working for the ACT Community Arts office, in the arts development team at artsACT, as exhibition officer for the Australian Institute of Architects and as a curatorial intern at the National Gallery of Australia. Joseph has served on the boards of numerous arts and not-for-profit organisations, including Arts Access Australia and Canberra Contemporary Art Space. Joseph is also an experienced social research consultant, and has managed a wide variety of projects for not-for-profit, public and private sector clients. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours from the University of Sydney, where he studied art history and literature, specialising in twentieth-century Italian poetry.

David Fishel
David holds an MA and M.Litt and is Director, Positive Solutions and Boardconnect. Prior to co-founding Positive Solutions in the UK in 1990, David managed arts organisations ranging from small scale touring theatre companies to arts centre and theatre venues. David has led business and strategic planning processes for cultural, health, educational, sports and Indigenous organisations. He has delivered training in board development, management and leadership skills, arts-business partnerships and strategic planning. David is author of The Book of the Board, a handbook for board members of non-profit organisations (third edition due later this year), and Boards That Work by the Directory of Social Change in the UK. He has been a board member of several cultural organisations in Australia and the UK, was Chair of Circa/ Rock’n’Roll Circus, Chair of Creative Enterprise Australia, and a Council member of QUT. David is a Director of BoardConnect, a non-profit organisation he founded that focuses on enhancing standards of governance in the non-profit sector, and is the Chair of Brisbane Writers Festival.

Ingeborg Hansen
Ingeborg is Director at Megalo Print Studio and Gallery, one of Australia’s major organisations supporting printmaking. Megalo began in 1980 and has undergone significant organisational and facility led change throughout its existence, never failing to come out on top. On graduation from the Graphic Investigation Workshop of the Australian National University School of Art Ingeborg co-founded a private press dedicated to producing books by contemporary Australian artists and writers and a little later a commercial publishing venture. She has worked as a freelance graphic designer and owned a bookshop.

Meredith Hinchliffe
Meredith has been involved with the arts since 1977 when she began work with the Crafts Council of the ACT. She has curated numerous exhibitions covering, overtime, all craft media. In 2010 she curated a survey exhibition of the Tamworth Fibre Textile Collection. As a writer on the arts Meredith has contributed to The Canberra Times, The National Library News, Smarts, Pottery in Australia, Craft Arts International, Textile Fibre Forum, Object and Ceramic Art and Perception. Meredith has worked at The Australian Bicentennial Authority, artsACT and Business Development in the ACT Government; the Australian Science Teachers Association; Museums Australia and the Donald Horne Institute for Cultural Heritage at the University of Canberra. Meredith has also served on the boards of many Canberra arts organisations, including as President of Ausdance ACT. She has received an ACT Women’s Award in recognition of her significant contribution to the ACT community in the arts and an Australia Day Medal from the National Gallery of Australia. Meredith is approved to value Australian ceramics, glass, textiles, jewellery, leatherwork, wooden objects and furniture from 1950 for the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.

Helen Musa
Helen is an arts and cultural journalist.Initially trained in theatre and drama at the University of New South Wales, the National Institute of Dramatic Art and later in Asian Studies at the University of New England and the Australian National University, she spent many years teaching in colleges and universities in Australia and Malaysia, where she lectured at the University Sains Malaysia, Penang, from 1977 to 1981.During her years as an arts journalist, first as editor of Canberra’s monthly cultural magazine Muse from 1990 to 1996and then as Arts Editor of The Canberra Times from 1996 to 2007, she turned her focus to the visual arts, including the art of Southeast Asia. She is now arts editor for CityNews in Canberra.Helen also acts as a consultant to the NGO the Asia-Pacific Journalism Centre hosting and advising journalists from the region.

Neil Roach
Neil has a multi-disciplinary background, from tertiary studies and long experience in a wide variety of arts and events activities, both as a manager and performer. As director of a key arts organisation in the nation’s capital, he works with a wide variety of community, local government, and national stakeholders to promote, educate in, and support dance, with a focus on professional development of the artform. This includes managing a small but important key arts service organisation, creating and managing development projects, representing the industry, and using his professional expertise to assist artists create and manage their own projects. In 2013, as well as the normal Ausdance ACT program of activities, he produced the Australian Dance Awards and managed thirteen artist grants.

Anne-Marie Schwirtlich

Anne-Marie Schwirtlich
Anne-Marie took up her appointment as Director-General of the National Library of Australia in March 2011. Between February 2003 and February 2011 she was Chief Executive Officer and State Librarian at the State Library of Victoria. In 2006 she was seconded for six months to act as the Director of Arts Victoria – the Victorian department of the arts. In the period 2000 – 2003, Anne-Marie was the Acting Director-General of the National Archives of Australia having previously held senior positions at that institution, the National Library and the Australian War Memorial. She has also taught at the University of Canberra and at the University of NSW where she completed her post-graduate work in archives management. She has been active in professional associations in Australia and internationally and has published widely.

Allan Sko

Allan Sko

Allan is the Managing Director of Radar Media (BMA Magazine, MaF, Exhibitionist) as well as a freelance journalist. He holds a Batchelor of Arts in Professional Writing (University of Canberra). Allan was hired as BMA Magazine Canberra Entertainment Guide’s Editor in 2004 at the record age of 22. From there he rose through the ranks ultimately becoming Managing Director in 2008. Allan has ten years of experience in both the entertainment journalism industry and in the running of a small business. In 2008 he expanded BMA Magazine to include an arts publication known as Exhibitionist, and in 2010 he purchased online metal zine MaF. In his capacity as an entertainment journalist, Allan has conducted interviews with over 200 professionals, including authors (Chuck Palahniuk), actors (Simon Pegg, Kevin Spacey), comedians (Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey) and musicians (The Living End). Allan’s writing has appeared in over 20 different publications including The Canberra Times, Overland, Vice Magazine, triple j Magazine and more. Allan is the co-founder of Music ACT.

Caroline Stacey
Caroline is currently Artistic Director/CEO of The Street – Canberra’s treasured live performance creative hub for professional and independent artists and Chair of Kultour – a national organisation committed to advancing cultural diversity in the arts in Australia and has an extensive career as a stage director of theatre and opera. In 2012 Caroline received the Canberra Artist of the Year Award for her outstanding contribution to theatre and the performing arts. Other awards include: ACT International Women’s Day Award for her contribution to the performing arts in the ACT in 2011, ABAF Margaret Lawrence Bequest Scholarship in 2010, and the MEAA ACT Green Room Award for leadership in the cultural sector in 2009. Caroline has a Master of Theatre Arts and BA in Sociology and English, has been nominated for Green Room Awards many times and is the recipient of Canberra Critics Circle, Victorian Music Theatre Awards, and CONDA awards.

Rosanna Stevens
In 2011, Rosanna founded ACT literary collective Scissors Paper Pen. She is currently a Research Assistant at the ANU School of Music while completing a PhD at the ANU School of Anthropology and Archaeology. She also sits on the Program Advisory Committee for the Emerging Writers Festival. Her prior positions have included Acting Communications Manager of Craft ACT and Communications Officer of the ACT Writers Centre. Rosanna has previously worked with Express Media, the National Young Writers Festival, You Are Here Festival. Her writing has appeared in many Australian publications, including The Griffith Review, The Lifted Brow, Meanjin and The Sleepers Almanac.

Michael Tear
Michael was Managing Director and co-founder of Bearcage before becoming CEO of WildBear Entertainment. As Producer and Executive Producer, Michael’s career spans award-winning television, government and commercial productions, including a recent move into feature films. As a television producer his recent productions include commissions for ABC, FOXTEL History, Discovery Channel, Arte/ZDF (Germany/France), Prime NZ, National Geographic and UKTV. Michael is also an Executive Producer on feature film The Babadook (2013, dir. Jennifer Kent, Official Selection at Sundance Film Festival 2014). Michael currently serves as Chair of the ScreenACT Advisory Board and is a former member of the ACT Government Cultural Council (2002-2005). Michael is former Deputy Chair of QL2, one of Australia’s premier youth dance companies.

Lyn Wallis
Lyn is Director of the Theatre Sectionof The Australia Council for the Arts and has an ongoing interest in the development of arts leaders and the role they play in shaping Australia’s arts landscape. She is the author of ‘In Good Company: A Manual for Producing Independent Theatre’ (Currency Press 2005) and has previously worked as a director, season programmer, performer and teacher for over twenty years, creating and performing in shows for regional companies such as Theatre South, New England Theatre Company and Self-Raising Theatre. She was Artistic Director of Jigsaw Theatre Company for four years, where she wrote and directed shows for the National Festival of Australian Theatre and the Canberra Festival.

David Whitney
David was appointed Director of artsACT in 2007. Some of his previous roles include Director of the Canberra Theatre Centre, Director of the Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment in Alice Springs, and General Manager of the Riverland Cultural Trust in Regional South Australia. Prior to this David worked at the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust in a variety of roles. David was Chair of the Northern Australian Performing Arts Centre and Deputy President of the Australasian Performing Arts Centres Association. He was also a member of the Australian Government’s Playing Australia and Festivals Committee, Chair of the Theatre Board and Council member of the Australia Council for the Arts from 1999-2003.

David Williams AM
Professor Williams is currently Emeritus Professor in the Australian National University (ANU) Research School of Humanities and the Arts. He is a member of the Fulbright National Selection Committee; ANU Public Art Committee; ANU Drill Hall Gallery and Campus Planning and Development Committees. David is also Chair, Art Monthly Australia Board; Chair, ANU Foundation for the Visual Arts; Chair, Gordon Institute of TAFE Art and Design Academic Board; and Deputy Chair, Canberra Glassworks. Key previous appointments include Director ANU School of Art 1985-2006, Director and Crafts Board Australia Council 1978-1986. David’s research interests focus on contemporary Australian and Asian Visual Art. He is a regular contributor to the ANU The Research School of Humanities & the Arts seminar and conference programs. David has been awarded the Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Ministry of Culture and Communications, ACUADS Distinguished Fellowship Award and the Australia Council Visual Arts Board Emeritus medal recognising an outstanding contribution to the arts and cultural sector.

Bookings can be made via Eventbrite or phone 02 6207 3968. Spaces are limited and filling up fast. Bookings close 27 August 2014.

ACT Budget 2014-2015: our response

Posted on June 30, 2014 by childers

The following is the Childers Group’s response to the arts component of ACT Budget 2014-2015. It follows the structure required by ACT Treasury. Our submission resulted in an invitation to present to the 2014 Estimates hearing, which we accepted and put forward our views on 13 June; the Childers Group was one of only two arts organisations to be involved in the budget process. We’ll post a link to Hansard once the transcript is available. Our original budget input, submitted prior to the ACT Government’s announcement of the 2014-2015 budget, can be found here.

Please list, in order of priority, your three main areas of interest or concern regarding the ACT Budget 2014-2015:

The lack of growth of the ACT Arts Fund – the ACT Arts Fund is the ACT Government’s key arts development mechanism. It supports approximately 20 key arts organisations and a wide variety of programs, as well as groups and individual practicing artists. The Childers Group understands that the Fund receives additional annual funding of an amount that roughly equates to CPI (2.5%), which is ‘passed on in full’ to the key arts organisations. While this modest increase is critical, it is not enough to compensate for the increase in the ACT’s population in recent times. For example, in 2004 the ACT population was 324,000 and it is currently anticipated as 383,000 (source: http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/policystrategic/actstats/population). Therefore, in the space of a decade, there are approximately 60,000 additional people residing in the ACT, many of whom are looking to engage with the city’s arts and cultural sector. What is needed – and the need is becoming increasingly urgent – is a significant funding boost to the ACT Arts Fund, potentially $300,000-500,000, to help cater for the additional demand and the demonstrable increase in costs of delivering arts programs. This would ensure the ACT community has access to a diversity of high-quality arts programs, and that the organisations delivering these programs can do so in a sustainable manner.

The viability and sustainability of the ACT’s key arts organisations – as noted in our budget submission, the Childers Group is extremely concerned about the ongoing viability and sustainability of the ACT’s key arts organisations. These organisations, which are the backbone of the ACT’s arts sector and enable a large proportion of Canberrans to engage with arts and cultural activity, have – in the main – limited staffing resources and stretched programming budgets, all the while trying to meet the forever increasing demand. While many of these organisations have had success in diversifying their income from non-government sources, opportunities are limited in a jurisdiction where the public sector dominates. Additionally, with the recent loss of a local branch of the Australian Business Arts Foundation, and the national refocussing of that organisation into Creative Partnerships Australia, there is now no ACT-based business/philanthropic brokering body to support local arts organisations who are seeking private-sector support. Further, the Childers Group is concerned about the recently announced cuts to the Australia Council for the Arts and the impact this could have on the ability of the ACT’s arts organisations to access federal arts funding. The funding boost to the ACT Arts Fund mentioned above would go some way to addressing these concerns.

Arts in education – the Childers Group remains concerned about the lack of specific funding of arts-in-education programs, as identified in our budget submission. To break the longstanding disconnect between the Education and Arts arms of the ACT Government, what is needed is a specific arts-in-education program to ensure school-aged children have access to a wide range of high-quality programs. The Childers Group has previously advocated for an ACT Arts-in-Education Officer to broker relationships across the ACT Government and between government, schools, and program providers, such as the ACT’s key arts organisations.

ACT Screen Investment Fund – the Childers Group is concerned about the future of the ACT Screen Investment Fund and seeks clarification from the ACT Government about anticipated directions and plans.

What are your views on the ACT Budget in relation to your priority areas?

The Childers Group applauds the ACT Government’s ongoing support of the ACT’s arts and cultural sector. The 2014-2015 budget papers identify a figure of $30.1M being the total investment in 2014-2015 – this is a significant amount for Australia’s smallest state/territory jurisdiction.

However, what is the breakdown of this funding?

The Childers Group understands that $12.743m is invested through artsACT (CSD Output Class 3.2: Arts Engagement 2014-15) and $16.032m through the Cultural Facilities Corporation (CFC Output Class 1: Cultural Facilities Management). However, the 2014-2015 budget identifies that only $8,502,000 of this funding as being dedicated to supporting arts activity. While we note that this is an increase from $8,389,000 in 2013-2014, it is the Group’s understanding that only a maximum of $5M is specifically targeted at arts development – that is, supporting the ACT’s key arts organisations, arts programs, and practicing artists. As noted previously in this submission, this amount had been decreasing in real terms due to the costs of delivering programs and projects.

In addition, there are now significant budgetary pressures on key arts organisations in attracting and retaining skilled personnel, and, in many cases, managing the rising overhead costs associated with maintaining and operating key cultural facilities. All key arts organisations must balance the business/commercial aspects of their operations whilst providing creative engagement for the ACT community. The ACT Arts Fund is no longer able to meet these increasing costs and the community’s demands on the ACT’s key arts organisations.

Are there any other particular issues with the ACT Budget that you would like to bring to the Committee’s attention?

Yes. As mentioned elsewhere in this submission, the Childers Group’s key concern is the lack of real growth of the ACT Arts Fund. The current funding level has fallen behind demand, particularly in terms of the ability of the ACT’s key arts organisation to deliver high-quality and sustainable services but also the ever-decreasing funding available through the Project funding category.

Did you provide a budget submission to the ACT Government?

Yes.

Do you think that the ACT Budget has addressed the issues raised in your submission?

Not entirely.

ACT BUDGET SUBMISSION 2014-15

Posted on November 1, 2013 by childers

Whatever form they take, the arts transform, chronicle and illuminate the world around us.

23 October 2013

ACT Budget Consultation
Treasury Directorate
GPO Box 158
CANBERRA, ACT 2601

The Childers Group welcomes the invitation to provide input into the 2014-15 Budget development process. We believe support for the arts is an essential component of any budget.

The Childers Group is an independent arts forum whose advocacy is based on the principles of:

independence;
objectivity;
valuing the arts; and
pride in Australia’s national capital city and the surrounding region.

We note the 2014-15 Budget will continue to the ACT Government’s focus on growing the economy, improving liveability and opportunity, better health and education outcomes, and urban renewal.

Our submission focuses on the contribution the arts sector can play in:

1. Improving liveability and opportunity;
2. Better health and education outcomes; and
3. Further development of infrastructure projects.

1. IMPROVING LIVEABILITY AND OPPORTUNITY

Engagement and participation in the arts contribute to the quality of life.

Whatever form they take, the arts transform, chronicle and illuminate the world around us. The arts contribute to the quality of life in the ACT and are a central and sustainable part of life in our community.*

The ACT enjoys a national reputation in terms of its participation in the arts. We should invest in that reputation. Similarly, we lead the nation in attendance at cultural events. The ACT Government can build on that.

Canberra is experiencing the maturation of a wide range of arts activity with a rich and exciting array of events and programs. These activities challenge our perceptions, inspire confidence, and create cohesion in our community.

Significantly, the arts also represent a major attraction for tourists and visitors to Canberra and the surrounding region. We have become an attractive destination in terms of our cultural facilities and the lifestyle attractions, e.g. a lively arts and cultural events calendar, excellent wineries and great restaurants.

Recommendation 1: That the ACT Government considers cultural tourism as a major investment opportunity in the 2013/14 budget.

The arts are also a central aspect of the creative industries, which are drivers in innovation, creating new opportunities for growth in the economy. The Centenary year has generated many new opportunities in this area – opportunities too good to miss.

Many of these opportunities have been initiated through ACT Key Arts Organisations and infrastructure facilities. For example, Crafts ACT: Craft & Design Centre commissioned Canberra designer/makers to design and make a range of Centenary souvenirs involving local manufacturers and skilled staff. The products have proved a very popular success, especially with visitors to Canberra.

Recommendation 2: To ensure the viability of our Key Arts Organisations and key arts facilities, The Childers Group strongly urges the ACT Government to ensure stable funding for ACT Key Arts organisations and arts infrastructure, with CPI increases granted on an annual basis.

There is also the critical issue of superannuation and long-service leave provision. The increase in superannuation up to 12% begins in 2013 and increases steadily over the next five years. This will have an impact on all funding for organisations and one-off projects. The Childers Group notes there are greater long-service leave obligations in the ACT.

Recommendation 3: Funding levels for Key Arts Organisations must be regularly revisited to ensure quality and retention of staff, enabling delivery that is professional and sustainable and that ensures the arts reach the wider community.

Artistic Director/CEO Caroline Stacey and the recently refurbished Street Theatre

The Childers Group applauds recent ACT capital works investment in projects such as extensions/refurbishments to the Street Theatre and the Tuggeranong Arts Centre. However, all infrastructure facilities must be complemented by appropriate investment in skilled personnel to ensure the success and viability of the facility.

At present it is difficult to attract, recruit and retain the highly skilled arts managers needed for this task. A key issue in recruiting and retaining arts workers in Canberra is appropriate pay for arts workers. Payment of ACT arts workers’ salaries commensurate with their skills and experience will ensure the retention of qualified people with the necessary expertise to manage Canberra’s arts and cultural services. It will also ensure the sound management and development of strong policies and protocols within the key arts facilities built by the ACT Government.

Recommendation 4: The benchmarking of professional arts workers’ salaries with salaries in the community sector and with arts personnel in other states and territories.

On the question of a fee for service, while the Childers Group considers that the community should make a direct contribution to the arts, there is already a considerable fee-for-service culture in the ACT’s arts sector. For example, most programs and workshops provided by ACT Government-funded key arts organisations have a fee attached, as do membership organisations. However, the Childers Group also acknowledges that fees need to be kept affordable in order to maximise accessibility. It should be recognised that for many communities, participating in arts activities is as much about social interaction as creative production, and these activities should be low cost or free wherever possible, which is consistent with the accessibility theme raised in the Loxton Report.

2. PROVIDING BETTER HEALTH AND EDUCATION

The arts contribute to better health and the quality of education.

Involvement in arts activity, from a young age and within our schools environment, is an important means of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a sense of wellbeing. Art forms such as poetry and painting help us look differently at our everyday experiences. Literature and film tell the stories that we know or want to know and theatre makes us laugh and cry. Music uplifts and inspires us, and the language of the healthy mind and body speaks to us through dance and movement.

The Childers Group strongly supports the National Advocates for Arts Education **(NAAE) statement about the development of The Australian Curriculum: The Arts and its central principle of the entitlement of every young Australian to an arts education, one that includes all five artforms of dance, drama, media arts, music and the visual arts. Engagement in the arts throughout a child’s schooling, including early childhood, has immeasurable benefits which are now both quantifiable and proven in countries that have invested in strong arts programs within their schools.

The NAAE** further states that, ‘arts education across all art forms is central to young peoples’ cultural understanding, their ability to express ideas and to problem solve. Education in the arts is the essential means to build a skilful, knowledgeable, arts literate, articulate, healthy and confident generation equipped to deal with 21st Century challenges. The arts play an important role in other parts of the general curriculum: literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, cross-cultural and environmental awareness, social and ethical development’.

The Childers Group welcomes agreement by State and Territory Education Ministers to the curriculum’s final form, and their strong commitment to its implementation.

Recommendation 5: That the ACT Government budgets for implementation of The Australian Curriculum: The Arts and provides the necessary professional development and resources that will enable teachers to deliver the curriculum to every ACT student, from the early childhood years to Year 10.

To support implementation of The Australian Curriculum: The Arts and the links between schools and communities, the Childers Group advocates for the establishment of an Arts-in-Education officer position spread across the Education and Arts portfolios. In the first instance, this should be a three-year initiative. Similar initiatives in other states, for example WA, have proved very beneficial. Establishing and consolidating existing links between artists, arts organisations and schools and the tertiary sector should be a key component of the work. A strong artists-in-schools program also supports the professional development of classroom teachers and provides links between students and practising artists.

Recommendation 6: The establishment of an Arts-in-Education officer position that would build relationships, partnerships and programs between the Education Directorate and the Community Services Directorate. Ideally this should be a Senior Officer Grade C, paid for by the Education Directorate, with the officer spending 50% of time in Education and 50% at artsACT.

Recommendation 7: Continued support for the successful Artists-in-Schools program by providing Key Arts Organisations with a special support fund. This would encourage arts organisations to devise their own residency projects by developing collaborative arrangements with other Government agencies, the private sector, the Australia Council and tertiary institutions.

3. INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

With quality infrastructure facilities, the arts make a significant contribution to the community and to the economy.

The Childers Group acknowledges the recent ACT capital works investment in projects such as extensions/refurbishments to key arts facilities and the planning for additional cultural facilities. Realisation of the Visual Arts Hub at Kingston is another important initiative taken by the ACT Government that is fully supported by the Childers Group.

Canberra Glassworks

In terms of additional facilities, the Childers Group particularly recommends investment in professional dance infrastructure in the ACT. Canberra needs a high-quality dance hub with state-of-the-art facilities that could be shared between a number of organisations, offering space for the creation of new work, performances, master-classes, residencies and forums, and opportunities for ACT-trained dance artists to return to the Territory as choreographers, dancers, facilitators and researchers. The Canberra Glassworks complex offers an excellent model for professional practice and community engagement that puts the ACT at the forefront of development of the visual arts.

Recommendation 8: That the ACT Government initially investigates national and international models and then commits to development of a professional dance hub in the ACT that will attract major dance artists to the Territory, particularly the many choreographers, dancers, facilitators and researchers who have initially trained here in Canberra.

SUMMARY
The Childers Group strongly recommends consideration of increased investment in the arts as outlined in this submission. As our city and the region grow and develop, so too must our thinking in terms of providing opportunities and encouragement for our artists to stay, while nurturing creativity and social engagement within the wider community.

With this kind of support, the ACT region will continue its development as a vibrant, engaged, confident and sophisticated National Capital with strong regional connections and artistic networks.

The next creative generation and the community depend on it.

* artsACT Policy Framework 2012

** NAAE National Advocates for Arts Education Statement, June 2013.

Claiming the date: our next forum is just around the corner!

Posted on June 29, 2013 by childers

How important is it that we have a culture of robust and thoughtful arts criticism and dialogue?

The Childers Group has been busy beavering away behind the scenes, contributing a submission to the development of the ACT Government’s budget for 2013/2014, providing feedback on the resultant budget, and also attending the associated ACT Legislative Assembly hearing process (we hope to be able to link to the Hansard report shortly). However, we’re also working on our next forum, which will focus on arts review and criticism and is to occur on Friday 18 October, noon to 2pm, at the Gorman House Arts Centre in Braddon, ACT. We’ll be providing more details shortly, but ink it in – to say the least, it’s going to be an interesting discussion!

Arts advocacy in the era of the barbecue stopper

Posted on May 2, 2013 by childers

We all do it: watch the television or listen to the radio or scroll through our Facebook and Twitter feeds waiting for news of a politician who has spoken in an informed, energised and convincing manner about the value of the arts to Australian society. Of course, it does happen – for example, in April this year the Australian Government launched Creative Australia, the national cultural policy – but it’s fair to say that it happens all too infrequently.

Contemporary political discourse tends to focus on what some have deemed to be the ‘barbecue-stoppers’: immigration, taxation, interest rates, and, most recently, the National Broadband Network and the alternative proposed by the federal opposition. In this context, discussing challenges faced by artists and proposing solutions does tend to get drowned by what are considered issues that matter to ‘working Australian families’ – as if artists don’t have families and don’t have work to do!

With the federal election looming in September this year, how can all those with an interest in the arts make a difference?

Keep reading over at artsHub.

The Childers Group

An Independent Arts Forum for Canberra and the Region

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