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!

The 2013-14 ACT budget and the arts: what we reckon

Posted on June 9, 2013 by childers

On Tuesday 4 June 2013 the ACT Government released its budget for 2013-2014. Here is the Childers Group’s response to the arts component.

In the Childers Group’s budget submission dated 25 February 2013, a number of priority areas were identified, based on feedback provided through our two well-attended public forums and the various formal and informal discussions we’ve had over the last two years.

We consider the following the most critical:

The realistic support of key arts organisations – ensure that through the ACT Arts Fund CPI continues to be provided to Key Arts Organisations on an annual basis.
Appropriate pay for arts workers – ensure that there are no professional arts workers employed by Key Arts Organisations earning less than the average Australian wage of approximately $55,000 per annum
Private-sector philanthropy – there is an urgent need for an incentives-based approach that brings together business and arts in the ACT, not necessarily paying an individual to broker relationships but rather developing a suite of strategic benefits for investment by business and individuals in the arts. We strongly advocate for the ACT Government to provide seed-funding in the first instance.

What are our views on the ACT Budget in relation to our prority areas?

We applaud the ACT Government on its investment in the arts, particularly in relation to the following (although we note that not all of the funding below is ‘new money’):

New Works:

$1.8 million upgrade Canberra Theatre
$1.5 million Ainslie Arts Centre
$1 million Gorman House Arts Centre over 2 years
$300,000 to progress the Kingston visual arts hub

Works in progress:

$80,000 Belconnen Arts Centre feasibility and forward design
$3.6m allocated to the Fitters’ Workshop

Events:

$3.6 million Enlighten
ongoing funding to the Multicultural Festival and associated Fringe event
please note: we advise that the ACT Government, in collaboration with the ACT-region arts sector, should actively seek ways to build connections for ACT artists with this events

However, we remain concerned that the financial sustainability of the ACT’s key arts organisations does not appear to be addressed. All key arts organisations deliver a wide variety of professional programs, including those relating to community engagement and participation, as required by the ACT Government and to try to meet community need, but they do so with dwindling resources.

A critical issue is superannuation and long-service leave provisions. The increase in superannuation up to 12% begins in 2013 and increases steadily over the next five years and will have an impact on all funding, for organisations and one-off projects. The position of arts organisations in relation to retaining staff and meeting ACT long-service leave obligations is also a real and increasing cost attached to the $55,000 per annum figure mentioned above. The arts have legal and moral employment obligations like any other business and if there is a commitment to addressing retention of artists and arts staff in the ACT then there are real costs attached to that – arguably more so than other states e.g. there are greater long-service leave obligations in the ACT.

It should be noted that retaining and attracting skilled arts managers is now problematic as the ACT is not keeping abreast with salaries for senior personnel managing key ACT Government arts facilities. The investment in arts facilities and the resulting hubs requires highly skilled expertise to both manage and fully develop those hubs, through astute programming and strong community engagement.

What other areas of concern do we have with the ACT Budget?

Regarding the ‘disbanding of the ACT Cultural Council’ (as it is referred to in the 2013-2014 Budget Papers), the Childers Group believes that the Cultural Council model had served its purpose but no longer is it the model to best be a conduit between the ACT-region arts community and the ACT Government. However, we do seek clarification on what mechanism(s), if any, will replace the Council. The Loxton Review of the Arts recommended the establishment of a ‘Ministerial Arts Advisory Council’ – is this still being established? If so, what will its role be, and how will it be funded? If not, how does the ACT Government see it being kept informed of issues in the sector?

We understand that the ACT Government remains committed to peer-assessment of arts grants applications. However, we suggest that there is need for clear communication about how the various strands of arts funding will be assessed. For example, will Key Arts Organisation funding be assessed through a different mechanism than Program and Project funding? Additionally, will peers be paid? If so, has a budget been allocated for this?

We believe these matters are critical for our sector and request clarification on how the ACT Government intends to proceed, particularly given the upcoming assessment of a number of key arts organisations’ funding arrangements (5-year) in the very near future.

Do we think that the ACT Budget has addressed the issues raised in our submission?

Not entirely.

The Childers Group fully recognises that these are challenging economic times internationally, nationally and locally, and that governments at all levels must make difficult decisions. In this context, we again congratulate the ACT Government for maintaining its investment in the arts. However, on top of the priorities already mentioned in this survey response, we reiterate the following areas where the ACT Government can and should make a contribution:

Ongoing funding of the You Are Here festival – this initiative has been one of the Centenary of Canberra’s great successes, meaning that emerging and divergent art-forms flourish in a professionally curated context, whilst enlivening the city centre.
Increased support for one-off arts activities – the Project Funding category is – regrettably – supporting fewer projects each year due to the increasing cost of delivering arts projects; this is especially true of the performing arts.
Improved arts publicity and promotion services – the Childers Group believes that with a more strategic approach cultural tourism could be strengthened in our region. The Childers Group has met with ACT Tourism to encourage a more entrepreneurial approach to Regional Cultural Tourism. We believe incorporating regional attractions, including the district’s superb wineries and small galleries, will result in greater awareness of the distinctive creativity in our region.
A dance hub – a review by AusdanceACT found that there is an urgent need for good dance facilities in the ACT, particularly for professional practice.
A world-class artist-in-residence program – the Childers Group strongly advocates for ongoing funding of $200,000 over the next four years in order to fully realise the potential of its artist-in-residence program.
Significantly enhanced arts-in-education services – the establishment of an Arts-in-Education Officer position would build relationships, partnerships and programs between the Education Directorate and the Community Services Directorate.
A whole-of-government service approach to arts development – encouraging all directorates and agencies to examine ways in which they may directly or indirectly support the arts would enhance cultural life in Canberra.
Building creative partnerships with the regions – in many ways the ACT not only services the arts and cultural needs of its own citizens but also those who live in the neighbouring regions. The regions have their own strengths and challenges, but greater partnerships between the ACT and the regions would result in deeper and more diverse opportunities.

The Childers Group is open to feedback on the above. Our email address is childersgroup@gmail.com.

You’re also very welcome to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

A letter to the Australia Council about Writing Australia

Posted on May 10, 2013 by childers

29 April 2013

Libbie Christie
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Australia Council for the Arts
PO Box 788
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

cc: ACT Minister for the Arts, ACT Cultural Council, artsACT

Dear Ms Christie,

WRITING AUSTRALIA

I am writing to express the Childers Group’s concern at what we understand to be the Australia Council for the Arts ending its funding arrangements with Writing Australia and, through this decision, withdrawing its support for national writing infrastructure. This letter follows previous correspondence from the Group about Writing Australia, sent in January 2012.

The Childers Group is an arts advocacy body for the ACT region, and comprises arts leaders committed to developing and promoting the arts activity from Canberra and its environs. We situate our advocacy in a national context, as evidenced by our membership of Arts Peak.

As no doubt you and your colleagues are aware, the writing sector is currently undergoing considerable change. The nation-wide network of writers’ centres is a key component of the national writing infrastructure and is well placed to provide advocacy and increased opportunities for professional writers during these dynamic times – in this regard, the newly formed Writing Australia organisation aimed to be a coordinated and articulate voice.

The Childers Group’s previous advocacy on this matter centred on the need for Writing Australia to maintain its presence in Canberra, with its administration operating from an office provided by the National Library of Australia. The National Library, in the context of the other national cultural institutions, was the appropriate place for the operational base of Writing Australia. Furthermore, Canberra and its surrounding regional areas have a high level of engagement in professional writing activities, as evidenced by The Invisible Thread (Halstead Press, 2011; editor Irma Gold), a major anthology published as part of the current centenary of Canberra celebrations.

Through artsACT, the ACT Government’s arts funding agency, the ACT Writers Centre, the University of Canberra, the National Library of Australia, and a working group of eminent ACT-based Australian writers including Marion Halligan and Alan Gould, the ACT made a considerable contribution to the early development of the Writing Australia concept.

However, the Childers Group is now concerned to be informed by the literary sector that Writing Australia has lost its support from the Australia Council. This concerns the Group for two reasons: (1) that the Australia Council appears to be walking away from the emerging Writing Australia organisation and all that it had achieved to date, particularly in terms of touring established professional writers to areas beyond Sydney and Melbourne; and (2) that the Australia Council’s decision appears to set the various state and territory writers centres adrift into a new period of regionalised support rather than coordinated arts development within a national framework.

It is also of concern that there has been no official announcement or correspondence from the Australia Council about this decision, leaving the message to be circulated through rumour and innuendo.

The Childers Group maintains its view that there is a need for writers to have access to national infrastructure, and that the foundation of this infrastructure is the network of writers centre, which needs reinforcing through an appropriate level of financial and organisational support. The Group also maintains its view that in order for writers to maximise the opportunities presented by this rapidly changing operating environment that there needs to be a level of coordination and singularity of purpose which had been available through Writing Australia.

Respectfully we ask two key questions:

What is the status of the Australia Council’s funding of Writing Australia?
How is the Australia Council, through its Literature Board, continuing to support the national coordination of writing infrastructure in Australia?

To correspond with the Childers Group on this matter, please email childersgroup@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

David Williams AM

Spokesperson

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.

We expand our expertise

Posted on March 25, 2013 by childers

We are delighted to announced that we’ve expanded our areas of expertise, adding writer/educator Rosanna Stevens, singer-songwriter/musician James Fahy, and long-term arts worker Meredith Hinchliffe.

All of us who are involved in the arts are currently enjoying this extraordinary air of celebration in the ACT region. It’s so important as a network of creative communities that we build on this groundswell of activity and starting thinking about what happens next. To this end, the Childers Group has added three new members. There is no doubt that Rosanna, James and Meredith will make terrific contributions to our advocacy work.

As a collective of arts advocates, the Childers Group is committed to maximising our diversity of expertise and strategic thinking. Getting out of touch with the work of our artists and creative practitioners is simply not an option for us. That’s why we’ve expanded our expertise – we want to make sure that our advocacy work is informed by the best brains possible.

JAMES FAHY

James Fahy

James Fahy is a MAMA-nominated multidisciplinary artist based in Melbourne and Canberra. He has written for entertainment magazine BMA and ANU newspaper Woroni, and had fiction published in ACT literary journal Burley. Alongside Rosanna Stevens, Duncan Felton and Adelaide Rief he is a co-director of the ACT young literary organisation Scissors Paper Pen. In March 2013 James completed a research internship with independent think-tank Grattan Institute. As a musician, James has performed as a featured artist at the FUSE Music Conference in Adelaide, received national airplay for his EP The Sun Will Burn Through This Cloud, and played with high-profile acts including The Beards, the Wildes, A French Butler Called Smith, Beth and Ben, Peter Combe, and Novocastrian touring veterans Benjalu. In 2012, James was nominated for an award at the MusicACT Annual Music Awards in the category of Best Folk Artist. In 2010, James co-founded Canberra-based label Nash Cap Productions with Bec Taylor and Julia Winterflood. As an events organiser, host, musician and interviewer he has taken part in a string of festivals such You Are Here, the Canberra Multicultural Festival, the Illawarra Folk Festival, and the Woodford Folk Festival. With Joe Oppenheimer, James founded and co-produced the Pedestrian Orchestra, a year-long series of fifty concerts and arts performances aimed at encouraging Canberra’s emerging talent.

MEREDITH HINCHLIFFE

Meredith Hinchliffe

Meredith Hinchliffe has been involved with the arts since 1977 when she began work with the Crafts Council of the ACT. As part of the CCACT exhibition program she curated many exhibitions including several of individual artists and group exhibitions. These included all craft media – ceramics, wood, textiles, leather, metalwork and, to a lesser degree, glass. Craft ACT was included in some touring exhibitions and during her time at the organisation, Meredith showed an exhibition of Molas from the San Blas Islands of Panama. Meredith was a contributor to The Canberra Times from 1978 to 2009 and writes review articles of crafts and visual arts exhibitions and books. She also writes about issues of importance to the arts. She has written articles about for a number of journals, including the National Library News, Smarts, Pottery in Australia, Craft Arts International, Textile Fibre Forum, Object and Ceramic Art and Perception. Meredith worked at The Australian Bicentennial Authority, artsACT and Business Development in the ACT Government. She was responsible for grant programs in each area.

Meredith Hinchliffe was appointed the full-time Executive Director of the National Campaign for the Arts Australia Ltd in July 1996, until the organisation was wound up due to lack of funding in August 1997. During this period she built up a strong network of media contacts and assisted with the successful campaign for Artbank to be retained as a government operation. From August 1997 to December 1999 she worked as a freelance consultant. In 2000 Meredith began an appointment for two years as Project Manager, Australian Science Teachers Association. She was appointed Executive Officer of Museums Australia, the national professional association for museum workers and museums in July 2002. She worked as Public Arts Project Officer for artsACT and has managed several public art installation projects. From July 2008 to April 2009 she was the inaugural Executive Officer of the Donald Horne Institute for Cultural Heritage at the University of Canberra.

Meredith has served on the boards of a number of local arts organisations and was President of Ausdance ACT until May 2011. She is approved to value Australian ceramics, glass, textiles, jewellery, leatherwork, wooden objects and furniture from 1950 for the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program and has undertaken numerous valuations of works in most media, including the valuation of the Tamworth Regional Gallery’s textile collection. Meredith has been involved in a number of projects, including curating the Survey exhibition of the Tamworth Fibre Textile Collection in 2010. In 2000 she was awarded an ACT Women’s Award in recognition of her significant contribution to the ACT community in the arts. In 2011 she was awarded an Australia Day medal by the National Gallery of Australia.

ROSANNA STEVENS

Rosanna Stevens is currently the Communications Officer at the ACT Writers Centre, Senior Ambassador for the Australian National University Student Equity division, and co-producer and founder of Canberra’s young literary organisation, Scissors Paper Pen. In 2012 she was the recipient an artsACT grant to visit a variety of literary communities, initiatives and organisations in the United States of America. She also received CAL Creative Industries Career Funding while completing a three-month internship with San Francisco publishing house, McSweeney’s.

Rosanna has been a guest of the National Young Writers Festival, Adelaide Writers Week, You Are Here festival and the Emerging Writers Festival. She has also acted in a range of minor positions at literary festivals including Chairperson for the Melbourne Writers Festival, Volunteers Coordinator for the National Young Writers Festival, and Communications Officer for You Are Here festival. In 2011 she was National Young Writers Month co-Ambassador for New South Wales, and Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre Young Writer in Residence in Perth. Her short fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been published nationally, and her work has received favourable mention in The Canberra Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Australian.

Within her role at ANU Student Equity, Rosanna provides creative writing workshops to high-school students based in regional areas. Her passion for providing creative opportunities to young people and challenging popular educational paradigms has seen her work with students in Young, Bega, Goulburn, Yanderra, Canberra, Collector, the Blue Mountains, Chicago and San Francisco. Rosanna is currently completing a Master of Philosophy at the Australian National University.

2013-2014 ACT BUDGET SUBMISSION

Posted on March 5, 2013 by childers

The Childers Group believes that the 2013-2014 ACT Budget is the most important budget for the regional arts community in a decade.

The Childers Group acknowledges that the ACT Government is a significant supporter of the arts development of the ACT and neighbouring regions. The Government is the primary financial contributor to over twenty key arts organisations, which enable the community to access a diversity of programs and enable professional artists to progress their careers, many reaching national and international audiences. The Government also supports individual artists directly through the ACT Arts Fund and its associated programs.

In this Centenary year, we’re experiencing the maturing of much of this activity, with a rich and exciting array of events and programs in which our community and visitors can participate. Therefore, the 2013-2014 ACT Budget is the most important one for the arts in a decade, as it must build on the momentum ignited by the Centenary.

It’s an opportunity too good to miss.

What services does the Childers Group believe are most important for the Territory?*

A modern and mature society such as the ACT’s deserves ongoing access to a wide variety of arts and cultural programs. In general, the Childers Group supports the broad intent of the programs delivered by the ACT Government through its two main arts and cultural bodies – artsACT and the Cultural Facilities Corporation. However, the Group also advocates for ongoing review to ensure that the programs delivered are cost-effective and productive. Consulting with the arts community is critical in any review process, and the Childers Group is able to assist in this regard. Funding levels must also be regularly revisited to ensure that delivery is professional, sustainable, and reaching the community.

What infrastructure priorities should the Government consider initiating in the next four years?*

The realistic support of key arts organisations – ensure that through the ACT Arts Fund CPI continues to be provided to Key Arts Organisations on an annual basis.
Appropriate pay for arts workers – ensure that there are no professional arts workers employed by Key Arts Organisations earning less than the average Australian wage of approximately $55,000 per annum. The Childers Group advocates for the benchmarking of professional arts worker salaries with salaries in the Community Sector and with arts personnel in other states and territories. 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 within the key arts facilities built by the ACT Government.
Related to pay for arts workers is the critical issues of superannuation and long-service leave provisions – the increase in superannuation up to 12% begins in 2013 and increases steadily over the next five years and will have an impact on all funding, for organisations and one-off projects. The position of arts organisations in relation to retaining staff and meeting ACT long-service leave obligations is also a real and increasing cost attached to the $55 per annum figure mentioned above. The arts have obligations like any other business and if there is a commitment to addressing retention of artists and arts staff in the ACT then there are real costs attached to that – more so than other states e.g. there are greater long-service leave obligations in the ACT
Private-sector philanthropy – there is an urgent need for an incentives-based approach that brings together business and arts in the ACT, not necessarily paying an individual to broker relationships but rather developing a suite of strategic benefits for investment by business and individuals in the arts. We strongly advocate for the ACT Government to provide seed-funding in the first instance.
Ongoing funding of the You Are Here festival – You Are Here is a cross-arts festival showcasing the ACT’s alternative arts and underground culture. It highlights the energy, innovation and talent of Canberra artists past and present, presenting and promoting their work in non-traditional venues, revitalising inner-city spaces and attracting new audiences. The Festival is one of the most tangible outcomes of the build-up to the Centenary and considerable support for its continuation was raised during the Childers Group forums in 2012. We estimate that the Festival requires a minimum of $150,000 per annum over the next three years to build on its successes to-date and become a regional and state-wide cultural drawcard. It is essential to showcase the art forms of youth and to engage new audiences with contemporary ideas and arts practice.
Increased support for one-off arts activities – the ACT Arts Fund’s ‘project round’ supports one-off activities for individual artists and groups of artists to initiate and develop their own independent projects. Key arts organisations provide core infrastructure, but they cannot be ‘all things to all people’, nor do they receive program funding to engage artists on major projects. The Project Funding category is – regrettably – supporting fewer projects each year due to the increasing cost of delivering arts projects; this is especially true of the performing arts. The Childers Group strongly advocates for this category to receive additional funding of $250,000 per annum over the next three years. This is particularly important in building on the momentum of the Centenary celebrations.
A dance hub – Ausdance ACT recently conducted a review of dance facilities in Canberra. The organisation found that the numbers of dancers, particularly in schools and other cultural groups, is under-reported, but statistics indicate over 10,700 people participate in dance in the ACT. The Ausdance review found that there is an urgent need for good facilities in the ACT. Building on the ‘hub’ model, Canberra needs a high-quality dance hub with state-of-the-art facilities. The facilities could be shared between a number of organisations, offering space for schools, classes, and our independent dance creators and choreographers as well as performers. Locations that are currently under-serviced and would be suitable sites include: the inner sections of central Canberra, Gungahlin , Central Belconnen, South Tuggeranong, and Weston Creek. The Childers Group commends the review and endorses the recommendations.
A world-class artist-in-residence program – The ACT region has all the ingredients to offer a world-class artist-in-residency program for all art forms: a planned and accessible city, a seat of modern democracy, a suite of national cultural institutions, over twenty key arts organisations, nationally recognised tertiary education providers, a vibrant urban environment surrounded by natural beauty and pastoral landscapes, a network of country towns, and a diverse and engaged population. Artist-in-residency programs offer time and space to create, but also help to bring in national and international artists to work with local artists and the community. Recently the ACT Government developed a policy statement and tool kit, along with a small amount of funding for 2011/2012 and 2012/2013. The Childers Group strongly advocates for ongoing funding of $200,000 over the next four years in order to fully realise the potential of the program.
Significantly enhanced arts-in-education services – the establishment of an Arts-in-Education Officer position 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. In the first instance, this should be a 3-year initiative. Similar initiatives in other states e.g. 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. 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.
Improved arts publicity and promotion services – the arts are an important tourist attraction in Canberra. To increase publicity for the arts there needs to be a specific ACT Government program to ensure closer liaison between the arts sector-local and national, and ACT Tourism. We are seriously missing out on creative marketing that effectively and powerfully links the cultural attractions and food and wine trails of our region. This has been done to great effect in Victoria and Tasmania. The Childers Group believes that with a more strategic approach cultural tourism could be strengthened in our region.
A whole-of-government service approach to arts development – encouraging all directorates and agencies to examine ways in which they may directly or indirectly support the arts would enhance cultural life in Canberra. For example, potential exists for the development of collaborative arts arrangements with health, education, and heritage. To make this a reality, the Childers Group recommends the creation of specific position within the ACT Government to facilitate connections and multi-directorate programs and projects.
Building creative partnerships with the regions – in many ways the ACT not only services the arts and cultural needs of its own citizens but also those who live in the neighbouring regions. The regions have their own strengths and challenges, but greater partnerships between the ACT and the regions would result in deeper and more diverse opportunities; additionally, it would further cement this part of Australia as one of the most creative, leading to an increase in cultural tourism. The Childers Group advocates for the establishment of a specific Regional Partnerships Fund at $100,000 per annum over the next three years and to be delivered by artsACT in close consultation with the regional arts development offices such as Southern Tablelands Arts (STARTS) and South-East Arts Region (SEARS).

Should the Government maintain its current suite of services?*

Yes, the ACT Government must maintain its current suite of arts and cultural services. However, it should also investigate ways of improving the services to maximise their reach into the community and ensure that artists are receiving the support needed. Funding realistically is the key, as is ensuring organisational sustainability and growth.

How can the Government deliver current services more efficiently and productively?*

In broad terms, the Childers Group supports the notion of arts hubs – co-locating similar organisations to rationalise administrative costs, to increase community access, and create an overall sense of vibrancy. However, we also believe that arts hubs are more appropriate to some art forms than others – for example, dance (as mentioned above) and visual arts at the Kingston Foreshore – and that in some instances co-locating dissimilar organisations may also have positive results – for example, co-locating the ACT Writers Centre with ScreenACT may result in positive synergies. The Childers Group strongly advocates that there is more work to be done to realise the potential of arts hubs work, particularly in terms of sector commitments versus individual organisation commitments.

Are there any services the Childers Group considers that the community should make a direct contribution to (a fee for service)?*

There is already a considerable fee-for-service culture in the ACT’s arts sector. For example, most programs and workshops provided by the ACT Government-funded key arts organisations have a fee attached, as is membership of organisations. In general, the Childers Group supports a fee-for-service approach, but 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 than 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.

The recent initiative of the ACT Government in supporting six Community Cultural Inclusion Officer positions to engage our community in creative activities is an important step in helping address access. Skilled facilitators are essential for inclusive community cultural development.

–

The ACT leads our nation in both community participation and attendance at arts and cultural events. The Childers Group strongly recommends consideration of increased investment in the arts as outlined in our 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, and 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 area.

The next creative generation depends on it.

–

If you would like to provide feedback on the Childers Group’s 2013-2014 ACT Budget submission, please email us childersgroup@gmail.com or engage with us through Facebook or Twitter.

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* Questions asked by ACT Treasury

CHILDERS GROUP CLIMBS TO THE HEIGHTS OF ARTS PEAK

Posted on February 24, 2013 by childers

The Childers Group, the only arts advocacy body for the ACT region, has joined ArtsPeak, the confederation of Australian peak arts organisations. This is an exciting opportunity for us. Since our establishment in 2011 we have found our feet and started to have a real impact on the development of the arts and cultural life of our region. However, joining ArtsPeak enables us to situate our advocacy in a broader national context.

The membership of ArtsPeak includes 30 key advocacy organisations, including the National Association for the Visual Arts, Regional Arts Australia, Ausdance, Young People and the Arts Australia – and now the Childers Group.

Joining ArtsPeak gives our advocacy a certain gravitas. This is particularly important as the ACT and region is currently celebrating significant milestones, including the Centenary of Canberra. The Childers Group is already starting to think about what happens next in our region and we’re thrilled to now be in a position to bounce ideas off our ArtsPeak colleagues and be a part of a connected, informed and energised national arts advocacy movement.

ArtsPeak’s priorities for the immediate future are:

a long-term cultural framework and the necessity for adventurous arts policies that emphasise cross-departmental support for arts and culture – this will need a much greater funding commitment to sustain and grow arts infrastructure and to support the intrinsic and economic contribution of artists.

the viability of creative practitioners’ careers with appropriate professional development and lifelong skills that contribute to the economic and cultural life of the community, with fair payment and ethical conditions supported by appropriate legislation and regulation.

the importance of a good arts education from early childhood through school and into higher education, anticipated by the introduction of the Australian Curriculum for the Arts in 2014 – TAFE cuts to arts training and the gradual contraction of arts education options in universities are of major concern.

greater need for better recognition of and support for the diversity of the arts, including Australia’s unique Indigenous culture, multicultural communities and people with disability across urban, regional and remote Australia – the importance of international engagement and exchange is strongly advocated.

maintenance of the arm’s length and peer-assessment principles in the restructure of the Australia Council, and greater flexibility and responsiveness to developments in the arts sector – ArtsPeak strongly argues that art form expertise should be maintained.

OUR FIRST YEAR: A STRONG VOICE… TOGETHER

Posted on December 11, 2012 by childers

Established in November 2011, the Childers Group has now had its first birthday and to celebrate the Group’s released a summary of its advocacy actions to-date. We formed last year to be a positive and well-considered voice for the arts in the ACT region. We believe that we’ve been able to do that, together with all those who’ve attended our two forums and shared their ideas and hopes for the future. Economic instability can often lead to reduced investment in the arts, and the Childers Group’s mission is to make sure the opportunities and values of the arts are heard by the decision-makers, and action ensues.

The Childers Group is a body made up of nine voluntary members, so we rely on others to help us do what we do. We take this opportunity to thank all those who’ve helped us with venue-hire, advertising, graphic design, and web-support. We appreciate it very much.

Next year marks the Centenary of Canberra, and there are also some significant milestones in the region, including Goulburn’s 150^th birthday as a city. The varied events planned for these celebrations provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to showcase the extraordinary arts and cultural activity that is part of our everyday life.

Here’s a list of the Childers Group’s advocacy actions during the 2011/2012 period:

Advocated for Writing Australia to continue to have its headquarters in the ACT, including through correspondence to the Australia Council for the arts and the ACT Cultural Council (January 2012)
Provided a submission on the 2012/2013 ACT Budget consultation process, advocating for a range of policy ideas and actions (February 2012)
Provided a submission on artsACT’s draft Arts Policy Framework (March 2012)
Held our first forum, ‘Burning Issues and Radical Ideas’, which was attended by approximately 150 people, including Robyn Archer, Creative Director of the Centenary of Canberra, and two members of the ACT Legislative Assembly (held at the Street Theatre in April 2012)
Wrote a 1200-word opinion piece highlighting the importance of celebrating the ACT region’s artistic and cultural achievements, which was published by The Canberra Times (May 2012)
Released our ‘Vision for the Kingston Arts Precinct’ document (July 2012)
Advocated for the ACT Government’s new Events ACT website to make reference to all art-forms (July 2012)
Meetings with the board of the Cultural Facilities Corporation and the Canberra Business Council’s Small Business Taskforce (mid-year)
Met with The Canberra Times about the importance of employing professional arts journalists, including retention of the literary editor position (July 2012)
Released our ‘Six Key Opportunities for the ACT region’ document (August 2012), which included: the Kingston Arts Precinct, the ANU School of Music, a dance hub, arts-in-education including an ACT-wide poetry slam program, and a world-class artist-in-residence program
Twice met with MLAs representing the three main political parties in the ACT in the lead-up to the 2012 ACT Legislative Assembly election (September 2012)
Held our second forum, which provided an opportunity for the three main political parties in the ACT to present their respective arts policies, with questions from the various art-form sectors (held at Canberra Museum and Gallery in September 2012)
Advocated for the appropriate and sustainable funding of fine-art courses provided through NSW TAFE (November 2012)
Distributed a variety of media releases, including on Geoffrey Rush being named Australian of the Year and Caroline Stacey being named ACT Artist of the Year
Various media interviews, including print and radio

Congratulations to Caroline Stacey, ACT Artist of the Year

Posted on November 28, 2012 by childers

The Childers Group congratulates Caroline Stacey being named as the ACT ‘City News’ Artist of the Year for 2012, which is awarded by the Canberra Critics Circle.

Caroline is a very fine example of someone who is making a significant contribution to the creative life of the ACT Region. She is known for her artistic daring and her tenacity, and she’s been an influential advocate for the arts, particularly in terms of theatre.

It is most fitting for Caroline to be recognised in this way, and it is encouraging for all of us who are working to see the arts being placed at the very centre of Australian life.

Caroline Stacey is the Artistic Director/CEO of the Street Theatre, and is a foundation member of the Childers Group.

The Childers Group congratulates all the artists who received awards and the Canberra Critics Circle for its work in honouring creative excellence in the ACT region over the last twenty-two years. This, too, is an extraordinary achievement.

A letter to the Hon. Barry O’Farrell concerning cuts to NSW TAFE fine-arts courses

Posted on November 20, 2012 by childers

The Hon. Barry O’Farrell, MP
Premier
NSW Government
GPO Box 5341
SYDNEY NSW 2001

Dear the Hon. Barry O’Farrell,

CUTS TO FINE-ARTS COURSES OFFERED BY NSW TAFE

On the behalf of the Childers Group, an independent arts think-tank for the ACT region, I write to express considerable concern at reports that the NSW Government will cease offering fine-arts courses through TAFE.

Whilst the Childers Group recognises that the NSW Government is currently undergoing a process to reduce costs, we respectfully but unreservedly suggest that cutting opportunities for people in NSW to access a fine-arts education through the TAFE system is short-sighted and requires urgent review.

The Childers Group notes that many of those educated through the TAFE system find work in the creative industries. The creative industries are enablers of creative networks and spaces and of new business models. They contribute 2.8% of gross GDP (more than agriculture, communications, and electricity, gas and water supply). The visual arts, design and architecture makes up over 11% of the creative industries and have been growing in terms of employment opportunity. To significantly reduce opportunities to enter this workforce could not be seen to advance the needs of those living and working in the NSW, particularly those in regional areas.

Further, whilst some members of the community undergo arts training through the TAFE system to enable themselves to work in the arts sector, many pursue these opportunities simply as a way of building connections and skills – this is particularly relevant for regional areas where unemployment tends to be higher than metropolitan areas and there is a real need to build confidence and social capacity. There is ample Australian and international research that draws a direct link between creative practice and personal/community wellbeing. At a time when social cohesion could be said to be a priority, we suggest that there is a need to fund fine-arts courses at a higher level, not at a lower level.

The Childers Group, which was established in 2011 to be a positive and productive voice for the arts in the ACT region, offers expertise in the visual arts, music, dance, film, theatre and performing arts, youth arts, community arts, and literature. Our members have local/regional as well as national and international expertise and connections. We live in and advocate for both the ACT and adjacent regional areas of NSW. The Group is available to act as a sounding board to the NSW Government in terms of the arts, and we would be more than willing to meet with you direct to discuss this matter further.

To arrange a meeting, or to seek more information, please contact the Childers Group’s coordinators Nigel Featherstone or Evol McLeod on 0428 810 442 or 0406 378 889, or via email on childersgroup@gmail.com.

In closing, I strongly urge you to recognise the value of TAFE arts education to NSW and to ensure it continues to be funded at viable levels.

Yours sincerely,

Professor David Williams AM

Spokesperson
The Childers Group –
an independent arts forum

www.childersgroup.com.au

November 2012

The Childers Group

An Independent Arts Forum for Canberra and the Region

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