Speak up and be counted

• clearly address some or all of the questions in the provided discussion paper or terms of reference (you do not need to address each one)
• expressing where and why you agree or disagree are equally important, as are your views and ideas for alternative initiatives
• make it relevant and highlight your own perspective
• be concise, generally no longer than three to four pages
• begin with a short introduction about yourself or the organisation you represent
• emphasise your key points so that they are clear
• only include information you would be happy to see published online (unless you request that your submission is kept private)

Deadline 10 September 2020

On 3 September 2020 the Senate referred the Higher Education Support Amendment (Job-Ready Graduates and Supporting Regional and Remote Students) Bill 2020 to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report.

The Government’s Job-ready Graduates Bill threatens to double the fees for the arts and humanities degrees, as well as increasing the average charges for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students by 15%, women by 10% and regional and remote students by 5%.
NAVA opposes these unfair reforms that if passed, will altogether make it harder and more expensive for people to attend university effective as of 2021.

There are loads of articles and research papers online to help you articulate your case against this proposal. We've put together a handful for you here: https://visualarts.net.au/medi...

How to contribute

Upload your submission to the inquiry page.

Deadline 18 September 2020

On 3 September 2020 the Senate agreed to the establishment of the Select Committee on the Aboriginal Flag to inquire into and report on the current and former copyright and licensing arrangements for the Aboriginal flag design.

Questions

• who benefits from payments for the use of the Aboriginal Flag design and the impact on Aboriginal organisations, Aboriginal communities and the broader Australian community of the current copyright and licensing arrangements;
• options available to the Government to enable the Aboriginal Flag design to be freely used by the Australian community, including:
  1. negotiated outcomes with licence and/or copyright holders:
  2. the compulsory acquisition of licences and/or copyright,
  3. ways to protect the rights and interests of the flag’s legally recognised creator Mr Harold Thomas; and
• any other matters relevant to the enduring and fair use of the Aboriginal Flag design by the Aboriginal and Australian community.

How to contribute

Upload your submission to the inquiry page.

Deadline 22 October 2020

On 26 August 2020 Minister for Communications, Hon Paul Fletcher MP asked the Committee to inquire into and report on Australia’s creative and cultural industries and institutions. NAVA encourages artists, arts workers, audiences and friends to add your voice, detailing the benefits the arts bring to Australia, and the significant impacts that COVID-19 has had on our industry.

Questions

• The direct and indirect economic benefits and employment opportunities of creative and cultural industries and how to recognise, measure and grow them
• The non-economic benefits that enhance community, social wellbeing and promoting Australia's national identity, and how to recognise, measure and grow them
• The best mechanism for ensuring cooperation and delivery of policy between layers of government
• The impact of COVID-19 on the creative and cultural industries
• Avenues for increasing access and opportunities for Australia's creative and cultural industries through innovation and the digital environment.

How to contribute

Upload your submission to the inquiry page and or complete the survey below.

Deadline 18 December 2020

In March 2020, Australia began to experience the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Indigenous visual arts industry was dramatically impacted. Art centres, galleries and studios closed or scaled back their activities. Art fairs and industry events were cancelled or postponed. The shutdown of domestic and international travel, combined with the economic downturn, has led to a drop in the primary market for Indigenous artwork, leading to an immediate and significant loss of sales and income for artists, art centres and many art market professionals. The flow-on effects have been felt across the Indigenous visual arts sector.

The Australian Government is developing an Indigenous Visual Arts Action Plan to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and their cultural and economic interests, as well as the Indigenous visual arts industry as a whole. They are seeking feedback from anyone involved with the Indigenous visual arts sector who would like to contribute to the development of the Action Plan.

How to contribute

Upload your submission to the consultation page, or via email to IVA@arts.gov.au or post to:

Visual Arts and Design Section
Office for the Arts
GPO Box 2154
CANBERRA ACT 2601