Articles - 28 February 2008

Change is in the air

The Labor Government has swept into office like a fresh breeze and along with it has come a dramatic start to the year. The energy of new ideas and new directions has also brought with it much activity and preparation for change. Below are some of the activities that Craft Australia has been and will be involved with to position Australia contemporary craft·design in this new climate.

NVACN meeting with the Visual Art Board

Following hot on the heels of the Adelaide Biennial presented at the Art Gallery of South Australia as part of the Adelaide Festival, there was an equally significant, though not as nationally visible meeting of artists and arts managers held in Sydney. While no critic would give it a review, the meeting between members of the National Visual Art Craft Network, NVCAN, and the Australia Council for the Arts Visual Art Board, VAB would rate a ten in establishing a new process for dialogue between the sector and the Australia Council for the Arts.

The meeting was prompted by the recent change in Government, their new policy directions and how these changes will impact on the visual arts sector. The General Manager of Craft Australia attended the meeting representing the network of Australian Craft Design Centres, ACDC, and the craft.design sector broadly. The meeting was an opportunity for open dialogue about the developments in the sector and possible strategies for managing the changing climate in the arts. Meetings of this kind will now ocur on a regular basis and we applaud Anna Waldman, Director, and Professor Ted Snell, Chairman, of the VAB for this direction. Current Visual Arts Board members

Art and innovation

Put the 31st of March 2008 in your diary as a date not to be missed. This is the event that could reshape the arts in this country. The Art and Innovation summit has been organised by the Council for the Humanities Arts and Social Sciences, CHASS, to discuss the arts sector's engagement with the innovation agenda proposed by Government. The summit will discuss the Government's policy on the creative industries, arts and innovation and will provide an opportunity for the arts sector to discuss strategies for engaging with the new Rudd Government initiatives.

Craft Australia will be speaking at the event and presenting a position on the craft design sector that reflects the current position and growth in this area of practice. CHASS will hold this one day summit in Sydney. Details of the program and registrations are available on the CHASS website.

2020 Summit

Craft Australia sought nominations from the sector for delegates to attend the 2020 Summit which will be held in Canberra on 19 and 20 April. The topic Craft Australia is responding to is Creative Australia: the future of the arts, film and design. Visit the 2020 news centre.

The people who were nominated by Craft Australia to participate in the event were Kevin Murray, freelance curator and art historian, Tamara Winikoff, Director of NAVA, Steven Pozel, Director of Object and Catrina Vignando General Manager of Craft Australia. Craft Australia will present a written submission to the 2020 Summit which is due on 9 April and we want your feedback for inclusion. To date Craft Australia have had suggestions that include refurnishing the Lodge in Canberra with contemporary Australian design. If you have suggestions you would like to put forward for the submission please email your ideas by 20 March to catrina.vignando@craftaustralia.com.au.

Review of the national innovation system

When the Rudd Government began its term in office one of the more obvious signs of their policy directions was evidenced by the renaming of the federal departments. At the risk of sounding like an American pop icon, the department previously know as ... has become a bit of standard phrase in Canberra in the past 3 months. However, a hall mark name change that reflects the foresight of the Rudd Government has been the change to the department once known as DEST, Department of Education Science and Training, know rebranded as the Department of Innovation, Industry Science and Research.

This cerebral department is manifesting the nomenclature change by calling for a review of the national innovation systems and is holding national consultations in March to begin this process. Craft Australia will be attending the consultation in Canberra with colleagues from Craft ACT in order to position Australian craft design practice within the innovation framework.

What will all this mean? Well early days to be exactly sure of the outcomes, however, the aim is to facilitate the engagement of craft designers within industry and to increase the financial support to makers who are working in this field. To this end, Craft Australia will also be developing a submission to the review panel which is led by Dr Terry Cutler.

Craft Australia will consult the sector for the development of the submission to the Review of National Innovation Systems. If you would like to forward material for inclusion please email to catrina.vignando@craftaustralia.com.au Submissions are due by 30 April.

Catrina Vignando
General Manager