July 2011
“Activating and Protecting our Arts and Cultural Heritage” was a project conceived by Emma Barrance, of Arthur Creative, that culminated in a Forum of Artists on 23rd July 2011 that lead directly to the creation of Ballarat Arts Alive.
What follows is the Call to Action put out to the community, The Project Brief, the Issues Identified by the Community and The Forum Sessions presented and facilitated.
Call to Action
The project was developed from a series of consultations within the community and culminated in the form of a full day forum/ event. This event was held 12 weeks after a period of intensive consultation with key stakeholders to ensure attendance and participation.
Emma published the call out for participation in a forum via social media, face to face meetings and word of mouth.
Arts and cultural heritage should be on everyone’s agenda – it is essential that new strategies and solutions for community engagement and social inclusion be explored across the whole community, including: artists, community groups and government bodies (local state and federal).
With past, recent and pending closure of several local, independent art spaces over the years, essentially due to lack of funding support at local, state and federal level, it’s a great time to look at getting key stakeholders together in a transparent forum.
The group (facebook) is a platform for discussion that will feed directly into a forum called “Activating and Protecting our Arts and Cultural Heritage”. Later renamed BAA forum.
The Project
In nutshell, the project “Activating and Protecting our Arts and Cultural Heritage” involved a series of meetings/communication with the arts community and government agencies over a ten week period. The main aim was to try and generate discussion and action on a more sustainable arts space for the community to use both as creators and viewers.
The project was developed from a series of consultations within the community and culminated in the form of an event. The event was held within 12 weeks and the exact timing was formalised with key stakeholders to ensure attendance and participation.
Emma asked facebook users to add comments to the group page, using skills to articulate meaningful responses, post research if your an academic, a painting if your a visual artist, a fictional take on the “state of the arts” if your a writer, anything you think will help to articulate what was needed to create a vibrant and robust community – keeping involved with the discussion as it evolved, and inviting other people to join the group
“Become a part of a greater voice, for greater access to arts and cultural activity.”
Project Brief
Department of Community Development and Planning, DHS Social Inclusion and planning Unit and Arthur Creative Inc, wished to generate a community dialogue with a focus on the development of an inclusive arts space that provided creation and viewing opportunities for the whole community via a strong program of arts and cultural activities. A community forum and “asset“ discussion was developed in consultation with a diverse range of stakeholders. The Ballarat Community, individual artists, agencies and government needed to form partnerships that could be cemented to provide a strong base for a sustainable arts and cultural hub to grow.
Objective
“Activating and Protecting our Arts and Cultural Heritage”.
Emma Barrance worked with the arts community and government agencies to generate discussion and action on a more sustainable arts space for the community to use both as creators and viewers. The project was developed from a series of discussions and consultations within the community and culminated in the form of an event. Event may look like a round table/community forum with focus on:
1: Why don’t we have a sustainable and vibrant arts community in Ballarat; and
2: A focus on assets we have access to as a community now, as opposed to “strategic plans” that hold very little use in the present, what would you suggest we do to generate a robust arts scene?
Outcomes
Strengthened network within community (as network strengthens community and partnerships will become stronger, allowing access to more viable funding). Transparent forum for all service providers and gov bodies to consult and respond to community in the one forum. Develop strategies for solution Discuss local assets available for the arts and cultural community Discuss Community Arts / Arts Hub concept
Who will benefit from this project?
The Arts Community (artists with and without a disability) The General Community (access to vibrant community) Government and agency currently delivering arts and cultural services
Rationale – Why we need some sector action?
Arts and cultural heritage should be on everyone’s agenda – it is essential that new strategies and solutions for community engagement and social inclusion be explored across the whole community, including: artists, community groups and government bodies (local state and federal). With past, recent and pending closure of several local, independent art spaces over the years, essentially due to lack of funding support at local, state and federal level, it’s a great time to look at getting key stake holders together in a transparent forum. Arthur Creative has been involved in many arts projects over the last three years working with emerging and established artists, with and without a disability via special projects. Recent local findings have indicated that artists in the Ballarat Community need;
1 – greater access to resource and space
2 – greater links with the broader arts and cultural sector
3 – assistance to explore and engage in further education and employment options
4 – opportunity to enhance current practice and look at commercial opportunities There are Four
(4) distinct groups of artists practicing in Ballarat that require services and better access to community space, these include:
Group 1 – artists who identify as having a disability and are currently linked in with ‘mainstream disability arts’ activity.
Group 2 – independent commercially active mid career artists
Group 3 – Practicing hobbyist artists with aspirations to engage/practice more
Group 4 – Emerging Artist’s (students/self taught) Broader research outside of recent local projects shows that active participation in arts and cultural activity as creators and viewers builds a stronger community. (please fee free to request research / detail of this, including info that is directly if you require this level of information)
Issues Identified leading up to the Forum
The following issues were identified by the community and it would be great to read through them pre forum, digest and then on the 22nd July 2011 focus talk on identifying solutions and ways forward as a community. The following information was gathered from a series of discussions (online and in person) over a ten weeks period Approximately 250 local artists had been involved in the discussions.
Local Key Themes/Issues
1 – Lack of available/cost effective space to create.
2 – Lack of available / cost effective space to present.
3 – space (actual and cyber) for information sharing/networking/prof development.
4 – Audience – attracting new audience / attracting large mainstream audience.
5 – Funding – Ballarat as regional centre close to Melbourne looses out on significant funding to generate new work, create place and space.
6 – Assets (community accessible) lack of “common” place where people can access/store community owed infrastructure – hence unable to apply for grants for such things.
7 – Factions/cliques/closed community – broader issues generating competitiveness and “infighting” within the arts community.
8 – lack of access to localised small business skills development, specifically tailored for the arts.
9 – lack of employment opportunities as professional artists
10 – Lack of viable partnerships to make use of empty spaces
11 – Inability to collect and gather local information/knowledge in one accessible place – no one organisation is responsible for “holding” vital parts of the broader arts and cultural scene. For example “Yes that was done in 1998 so lets not recreate the wheel” that’s great, but where is the document/report/asset/ etc
12 – Ballarat arts community does not generally look at ways to PARTICIPATE outside Ballarat with the broader sector
13 – Lack of sector Advocacy
14 – Limited communication and pathway’s into existing arts organisations/groups
The Forum Sessions
When: Friday July 22nd | 10am – 2.30pm (2.30pm – networking/arvo tea)
Where: Art Gallery of Ballarat – The Annexe (rear of Gallery)
Why: To activate and galvanize the Ballarat Arts Community. To equip local artists and organisations with new information. To generate a core group to lead the application of funding for a community owned and run arts hub.
Presentations
“Getting connected” CDN (Cultural Development Network)– opportunity to share the work of the network – value to individuals joining the network (10min)
“The Value of Art” Ratartat – Peter Widmer and Geoff Bonney – an arts organisation with Ballarat as its base which has been operating for over 20 years. Discussion to be based on an artist’s view of a community working together. (10min)
“Making Art Happen” Red Brick – Stephanie Wallace and Marcia King – access to marketplace, distribution of information and lack of human resources to perpetuate initiatives set up – how to address these issues. (10min) (tbc)
“Accessing Art” Arts Access Victoria to present – with local feed in to highlight most relevant services of AAV. Local support via Ballarat Disability Arts Network. (10min)
“Activating Community Arts Spaces in Bendigo” City of Bendigo – Maree Tonkin – ‘Activating Community Arts Spaces in Bendigo’ – presentation on how the Bendigo arts community activated arts space. (10min)
“Business Support ” ABAF (Australian Business Arts Foundation)– presentation on services available for individual and small to medium organisations. (10min)
“Introduction of Individual Artists on Panel” – Mick Trembath (established artist rep), Kiri Smart (community leader/artist rep) and Kat Barrand (emerging artist rep). (10min) (TBC with artists work schedules)
11.25 am – Morning tea break
Community Dialogue (3 parts)
11.35 am – Quick presentation of facebook issues generated over the three month online discussion – (10 mins max)
11.30 am
PANEL DICSCUSSION (30 mins and chaired) Presenters from morning session on Panel. Work through some keys issues discovered/noted in the facebook forum and via face to face consultations in the lead up with groups not using facebook. Questions to all panel in the lead up to the event via group email. Chair, John Smithies, to ask questions and moderate/chair discussion.
Panel Discussion Focus area/s:
1) ‘How would you know if you had a vibrant arts community in Ballarat’ the discussion should be directed into thinking what is existing and what it might look like in the future.
2) issues raised in lead up via facebook to be fed through.
12.00 Think Tank part 1 Focus – Where to from here – discussion on ideas of ways forward. Not focusing on issues but how can we generate a strong and robust community together. Break into four groups – “ enter stage left – ye old butchers paper!”. Groups to have even representation from artists, gov (local and state), arts based organisations. A clear structure/direction to be set with each group. Groups will work up content to be presented after lunch. An artist representative from each group to present each groups findings/discussion.
12.30 pm – 1pm LUNCH
1.00 pm Think Tank part 2 Group presentations x 4 General discussion/open leading organically into public commitments session.
Public Commitments – formalised responses from orgs – perhaps placed on screen/presented by orgs/individuals. Action item list set as part of public forum, enables transparent communication and prompts follow up for participating organisations. Individuals may make a public commitment of representation on core group to lead further work/funding apps for hub, commitment to continue discussion.
2.30pm – conclude the session. Afternoon tea and networking.