NAVA campaign highlights

July 28 2016 , by Yu Ye Wu

Image: NAVA's Deputy Director, Brianna Munting addressing the National Day of Action for the Arts rally in Newtown on 17 June 2016. Photo by Anne Zahalka.

May 2016

Arts Policy & Funding Cuts

NAVA wrote to the Australia Council and the Arts Minister on behalf of the four peak artform service organisations which lost their operational funding – in dance, drama, music and visual arts (that’s us)
Launched #SAVEnava campaign in immediate response to loss of our Australia Council four-year funding (from 2017 onwards) including the Save NAVA Petition with 1,690 signatures
Tamara Winikoff appeared on ABC TV news, ABC news 24, and ABC TV the Mix following news of small to mediums missing out on four-year funding
In partnership with Artspace, Sydney, NAVA held two town-hall style public meetings ‘Let’s Talk’ and ‘Let’s Talk Art Futures’ discussing the current state of the arts

NAVA distributed an online survey on copyright
NAVA sent a submission in response to the Productivity Commission’s Intellectual Property Arrangements Draft Report, advising the government of the deleterious impact on artists of a change from the current ‘fair dealing’ to a ‘fair use’ system:

Research

On behalf of ArtsPeak, wrote to the Meeting of Cultural Ministers Officials in relation to the proposed Australia Council research into service organisations

June 2016

Pre- election Actions

Where they existed, NAVA analysed the arts policies of the political parties
NAVA sent a list of key arts policy recommendations to all political parties
As Co-convenor of ArtsPeak, Tamara Winikoff introduced the National Arts Debate at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on Wednesday 8 June 2016 with 3 speakers; Arts Minister, Mitch Fifield, Shadow Arts Minister Mark Dreyfus and arts spokesperson for the Australian Greens Adan Bandt
Started the Art Changes Lives #Istandwiththearts campaign and online petition with over 19,240 signatures
Coordinated in partnership with the MCA, the National Day of Action for the arts press conference at the MCA, Sydney which generated media coverage in The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age, The Australia, TimeOut Sydney, FBi Radio, ArtsHub, Art Almanac, Hyperallergic and Artforum online
The NAVA team recorded voxpops with members of the public on the National Day of Action at the MCA to send to arts leaders pre-election, view online here
NAVA team helped organise the National Day of Action demonstration outside PM Malcolm Turnbull’s office in Sydney
Produced National Day of Action for the arts toolkit which was widely utilised in arts sector campaigning in the lead up to the election
Produced Federal Election toolkit which was utilised pre-election by arts sector

Tamara Winikoff spoke at Sydney public hearing by the Productivity Commission in relation to its Intellectual Property Arrangements Draft Report

July 2016

Sydney Art Schools Crisis

NAVA wrote a letter to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sydney copied to the University of NSW Vice Chancellor and heads of the Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) and UNSW Art and Design art schools expressing our concern at the proposed closure of Sydney College of the Arts (SCA). Another letter was written to the USYD Senate requesting a meeting
NAVA delegation met with Professor Stephen Garton, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Sydney re: proposed SCA and UNSWA&D ‘merger’
NAVA held 2 arts sector closed roundtable consultations with students and staff of the three art schools SCA, UNSWA&D and the National Art School

Research

Tamara Winikoff met with the Australia Council’s Head of Research Lisa Walsh and Steve Thomson, Director of Strategy and Planning to discuss the work being undertaken by the Council on service organisations and on small to medium arts organisations

Arts Landscape

In partnership with Artspace, Sydney, NAVA has organised another town-hall style public meetings ‘Let’s Talk CAOS’ discussing the situation for contemporary art organisations
Tamara Winikoff is a speaker in a panel discussion at the Sydney Opera House on ‘State of the Arts’