Arts Sector Inquiry Underway
10 December 2001 at 12:12 pm
An Inquiry into the Contemporary Visual Arts and Craft sector has welcomed the encouraging response from Australia’s arts community, advising that is has received around 180 submissions.
The Federal Minister for the Arts, Peter McGauran, set up the independent Inquiry in July.
Chairman of the Inquiry, Mr Rupert Myer says he is pleased that so many artists, craft practitioners, and the wide spectrum of organisations in the contemporary visual arts and craft sector have made such a considerable effort to lodge submissions with the Inquiry.
He says the submissions indicate that the Inquiry’s Issues Paper accurately identified many issues of concern to arts and craft practitioners and organisations in the sector.
He adds that these practitioners have provided useful insights and information about the status of their profession in the community-its cultural, social and economic contribution, financial returns and interaction with commercial organisations and government funding agencies.
Submissions from education and training institutions-including staff and graduates – report on the trends and challenges in the tertiary educational sphere of the sector.
Public and commercial galleries, contemporary arts spaces, craft bodies and arts organisations are among the many who have made have submissions about the dynamics of the sector’s infrastructure.
The Inquiry also welcomed the submissions it received from government agencies on funding and support policies; from professional organisations on intellectual property and other financial and legislative matters including droit de suite; and from individuals and institutions on Indigenous arts and craft issues.
Leading up to and during the ‘submissions’ period, consultative meetings were held with individual artists, arts and craft organisations, tertiary institutions and government arts departments and agencies in each State and Territory.
The Chairman says this process was extremely constructive and the Inquiry received vital information to help it frame recommendations to ensure the continued success of Australia’s dynamic contemporary visual arts and craft sector- further consultation will be undertaken as required.
The next step for the Inquiry will be to examine all the information received-including the submissions and additional research and data- and begin drafting the report which is due to be delivered to the Commonwealth Government by the end of March 2002.
More information on the Inquiry can be found on the Inquiry web site at www.cvacinquiry.dcita.gov.au.
