Bold is an academic reseach method and a form of communicating ideas to community cultural development artsworkers like myself
A beginning
Published Thursday, November 1, 2007 by Lucy.
I started this blog about 6 months ago. I have not used it. It was supposed to be a virtual dumping ground for the masses of information I compile as an academic, a way of sorting out the clutter in my head. I have a friend who uses a blog for this very purpose and swears by it, it is through her persuasion that I am here today.
I guess the real issue of the moment is the coming election and what that means for arts and cultural funding. I'm quite concerned about our funding no matter which way the vote swings, Labor is going to do a better job than Liberal, no doubt about it, but it still wont be ideal. Liberal have been so bad for the arts and the social economy. Sure Howard has made us richer (or has he?) financially but the reality is he has ignored the cultural, creative and community aspects of this country. He has not even released a pre-election policy for the arts or culture (oh wait a sec...we don't HAVE a cultural policy). Labor on the other hand HAS released an arts policy (in Sept 2007) which fails to actually state any policies...interesting. And despite its name "New Directions for the Arts" there really is not much new about it. So as I said, I'm concerned.
We need an inclusive cultural policy, we need a good arts policy that boosts funding to the small to medium arts activity not just the big names, and further we need as a country, to embrace social capital! Is anyone listening to us? Yes money makes the world go around, but if you hate your job you leave right? same thing with your country. So to put in a way that is less venty and more constructive let me quote Jim McDonald over at Larvatus Prodeo:
Nicely put Jim.
I guess the real issue of the moment is the coming election and what that means for arts and cultural funding. I'm quite concerned about our funding no matter which way the vote swings, Labor is going to do a better job than Liberal, no doubt about it, but it still wont be ideal. Liberal have been so bad for the arts and the social economy. Sure Howard has made us richer (or has he?) financially but the reality is he has ignored the cultural, creative and community aspects of this country. He has not even released a pre-election policy for the arts or culture (oh wait a sec...we don't HAVE a cultural policy). Labor on the other hand HAS released an arts policy (in Sept 2007) which fails to actually state any policies...interesting. And despite its name "New Directions for the Arts" there really is not much new about it. So as I said, I'm concerned.
We need an inclusive cultural policy, we need a good arts policy that boosts funding to the small to medium arts activity not just the big names, and further we need as a country, to embrace social capital! Is anyone listening to us? Yes money makes the world go around, but if you hate your job you leave right? same thing with your country. So to put in a way that is less venty and more constructive let me quote Jim McDonald over at Larvatus Prodeo:
There needs to be support for regional performers at a professional level......Not a grant handout system of a few thousand measly dollars here and there, but a real commitment from State Federal and local Government, in partnership with private enterprise, local communities and philanthropy encouraged by incentives......I’m not suggesting that the Federal Government should bankroll all of this, but it is possible to provide incentives for private support. A really clever country would do that. After all, it happens in Europe and North America.
Nicely put Jim.
Labels: Politics
About me
- I'm Lucy
- From Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Lucy lives and works in Brisbane, in the heart of the Smart State. She is currently studying a Graduate Diploma of Community Cultural Development through CAN SA.
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