Visual Arts Voice
How exciting to start the year in a sparkly new arts policy environment. For the visual arts, as a first act we understand that resale royalty legislation is in preparation. Taking an optimistic view, Labor’s arts policy is crammed with good intentions which we look forward to seeing developed in more detail and rolled out in the next few months.
2020 Summit
True to their commitment to consult, the Rudd government has pledged to hold a 2020 summit in Canberra in April. If the right arts people are included amongst the 1000 "best and brightest brains", they could paint a visionary new picture for Australia's long-term future. With a bit of courage, Labor’s arts policy could be taken in some exhilarating new directions.
Innovation Review
Of interest to the arts sector is the inclusion of Innovation within the Industry, Science and Research portfolio held by Kim Carr. Right away, Carr has announced that the government will undertake a review of Australia’s national innovation systems. In the past, government thinking about this issue has not extended much beyond scientific, technological and financial territory. However, those of us working in the arts know arts practice to be a hotbed of innovative ideas which can directly or indirectly translate into new areas of productivity and social application.
For example, in relation to new media, artists have been leading the charge in developing really exciting ideas both in content and structure. The blurring of the boundaries between visual arts, craft and design has seen thrilling new ‘products’ being designed, some now finding their way into the marketplace being manufactured in limited editions or multiples.
NAVA will be inviting members of the visual arts community to discuss the issue and provide good examples as case studies to demonstrate both the research value of art practice and its practical application. NAVA will draw on this material in making a submission to the review on behalf of the visual arts sector. Check NAVA’s website www.visualarts.net.au in March for more information in the Campaigns section under ‘Art & Innovation’.
Innovation Centre
The government’s announcement of $17 million for a ‘Creative Industries Innovation Centre’ also sets the fertile imagination working, with its stated intentions being to provide training and other support to incubate smaller arts businesses, house research programs and build a research resource base, and attract the participation of students and local community. More will emerge on this as it gets rolled out.
This text appears in a regular monthly column NAVA writes for Arts Hub, the online home for arts workers. To read the full column, click here to visit Arts Hub News, Analysis and Comment.
