An invitation to our artists and creators
South Australia's arts community is a key part of our cultural life. Our deep talent pool has a great reputation in both national and international arenas. This bulletin will highlight new opportunities for everyone from emerging artists to our world-class companies, galleries and festivals - opportunities that will help promote cultural activity and create connection within the sector.
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A message from the Minister for Arts
I’m so proud to be writing this message as your Minister for Arts, from Kaurna Yerta in Adelaide. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, and those across our beautiful state, whose relationship with the land, waters and skies continues from the past, through the present and into the future forever.
In this National Reconciliation Week, we are called upon to Be Brave and Make Change. Our government is proud to continue implementing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Strategy for South Australia, which was launched earlier this year. I look forward to working with our Aboriginal communities as we progress this strategy under its four key aspirations: Honouring; Leading; Listening and Learning; Connecting.
In recent weeks I have seen such excellent, invigorating South Australian creative work in action and how the depth and breadth of our sector contributes to our state’s established reputation for cultural leadership across all areas including but not only the visual arts, dance, film, theatre and music.
Arts and culture are an integral part of our state. The sector helps shape the very fabric of our community and is an important expression of our community’s history, values, thinking and aspirations. I am committed to reflecting this intrinsic importance, and to being the voice of the arts, culture and creative sector at the Cabinet table. The June 2 State Budget includes almost $24 million for arts and culture. It fulfils all of the election commitments including live music, festivals and film.
Thank you for the warm welcome I have received since my appointment. I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming weeks and to continuing to develop our arts and culture sector with you.
The Hon Andrea Michaels MP
June 2022
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In this first bulletin for 2022, catch up on the latest initiatives from Arts South Australia to support the sector, find out about the implementation of the first state Aboriginal and Torres Islander Arts Strategy, check the deadlines for the next grants rounds and discover more about recent funding recipients.
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ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTS STRATEGY FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The first ever Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Strategy for South Australia [PDF] was recently released and Arts South Australia looks forward to welcoming a new Senior Project Manager to lead its implementation. Stay tuned for an announcement soon.
The development of the Strategy has been Aboriginal-led, in consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture sector and a wide range of other stakeholders. It is centred around a set of Guiding Cultural Values, which have underpinned its development and will drive and support its implementation.
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A cohesive and holistic approach and a comprehensive implementation plan [PDF]sits alongside the Strategy to ensure the government can be timely and responsive to the changing needs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultures sector and communities.
Some early initiatives:
Aligned with the delivery of the Strategy as part of the broader Arts and Culture Plan South Australia 2019-2024, Arts South Australia has delivered a number of initiatives and supported partnerships during the Strategy's development phase. These include:
- $100 000 in grant funding to the Adelaide Fringe to distribute to Aboriginal artists.
- A partnership with the City of Adelaide to fund $100 000 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Professional Development (public art) Grant Program, providing professional development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, artisans, and creatives in Public Art.
- $200 000 in funding provided to pilot projects and case studies during the Strategy’s development. This resulted in several successful projects that exemplify new ways of working and best practice, in addition to embodying the aspirations of the Strategy and the actions within the implementation plan.
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Building resilience and leadership
Arts South Australia has been rolling out initiatives to support recovery and organisational development in a living-with-COVID environment, including governance, digital engagement, fundraising, and financial literacy included in a series of professional development courses.
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These six training and development courses are being delivered to the small-to-medium arts sector at no cost, presented by registered training providers:
- Corporate Governance Masterclass - The Leaders Institute
- Respectful Workplace Program - Diversity Australia
- Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness and Unconscious Bias Program - Diversity Australia
- Fundamentals of Arts Fundraising - Creative Partnerships Australia
- Financial Training - Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA)
The courses are happening throughout May and June 2022 and 210 places have been filled by staff and Board members from 36 separate arts and culture organisations and groups, including small-to-medium funded businesses as well as un-funded, project-based organisations, small collectives and artist-run initiatives.
The courses have been well received and attendees at the corporate governance masterclass said it was:
- 'highly informative and immediately practical'
- 'comprehensive, honest, direct, informative, friendly, useful'
- 'excellent, and great to have someone with arts context and experience'
Feedback from the financial training included:
- 'I gained a deeper understanding and respect for money, funding, and utilising grants more efficiently in art projects'
- 'The financial training sessions were fun, informative and engaging'
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Taking a digital direction
The increased reliance on online workshops, e-commerce, and digital presentations of artwork because of border closures, lockdowns and changed audience behaviours, highlighted a need in the sector for skills development in this area.
Arts Recovery Funding has enabled increased, no cost, uptake by South Australian arts organisations of opportunities available through the Australia Council’s Digital Cultures Strategy, namely its Digital Strategist-In-Residence and Digital Transformation for Creative Industries programs.
The Digital Strategist-In-Residence provides arts organisations with access to a specialist who will help them develop and/or enable a digital strategy. Ten South Australian arts and culture organisations are accessing the Digital Strategist in Residence initiative during the remainder of 2022, supported by the South Australian government through Arts South Australia.
The Digital Transformation for Creative Industries is a six-week introductory course designed to provide skills, tools and techniques to support greater digital engagement. Eighteen South Australian arts and culture organisations are participating in the online digital course which has been funded by the South Australian government through Arts South Australia. Bec Young from Access2Arts is undertaking the course and said “The Digital Transformation Course could not have come at a more important time for Access2Arts. It is a very comprehensive high-level course that gives the opportunity to deeply examine our organisational relationship with the digital world and to map a path that allows us to take full advantage of new technologies.”
Given the growth of digital engagement over the past two years, this timely training will support South Australian organisations to better engage in this new digitally enabled world.
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VISUAL / FESTIVALS / SALA: Celebrating its 25th year, South Australian Living Artists Festival will present unprecedented opportunities for South Australian artists and audiences. Check out this year's program.
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CERAMICS / JAM FACTORY / CONTINUUM: Continuum brings together different generations of Aboriginal artists to share their stories and journeys though ceramic sculptural objects and vessels. The connection and practice of traditional culture has been challenging for many Indigenous people since colonisation. The harsh and rigid life on Missions and efforts to eradicate culture and language have left cultural groups at a loss. Indigenous peoples across Australia have worked hard to promote the revival of traditional language, knowledge and practices to ensure that generations to come have a proud and strong connection to culture.
This exhibition highlights the continuing practice and preservation of Aboriginal art and culture for over 60,000 years and features the work of Uncle Kevin ‘Sooty’ Welsh, Alfred Lowe, Carlene Thompson and Anne Thompson. Through their ceramics practices, the exhibiting artists connect with their diverse cultural backgrounds, spanning from Arrernte Country in the Northern Territory, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in north-west South Australia and Wailwan Country in north-east New South Wales.
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DANCE / AUSTRALIAN DANCE THEATRE / OUTSIDE WITHIN:
Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) is touring its new work Outside Within around South Australia.
“Outside Within speaks to all audiences from an honest and genuine place, one that can interrogate and share the legacy of our Aboriginal People and our inherent connection to this land” said ADT Executive Director Nick Hays.
“Working alongside and getting to showcase brilliant Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal creatives across this program is incredibly fulfilling and exciting and sets an intention in the way we will continue to make work at ADT.”
As another significant milestone, ADT will take Outside Within on the road for the company’s largest South Australian tour in more than three decades. “For much of our nearly 60-year history, ADT has been a company that travelled the world. Now, in 2022 and beyond, we are refocusing on putting local audiences first,” said Mr Hays. “That means we can look forward to world premieres in Adelaide, a number of seasons each year at home, yearly regional activity around South Australia and performances around the nation. “It’s a genuine and meaningful commitment to our loyal audiences and we are very excited.”
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Focus On features stories of artists and organisations who have been supported in part by Arts South Australia programs and from around the sector.
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