Overview
The directorate, through artsACT, is the ACT Government’s arts agency. artsACT provides policy and funding advice to government, manages the ACT Arts Fund and a range of other arts development and funding initiatives. artsACT also manages the ACT Government’s public art collection of over 100 artworks, oversees the development and management of ACT arts facilities, and maintains links with other arts and cultural organisations in Australia and internationally.
Highlights
In 2018-19 the directorate:
- established a new identified position for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Officer within artsACT and commenced implementation of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan including working with the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Network to establish programs;
- supported the first Canberra Wellington Indigenous Artist Exchange to support cultural exchange as part of the Canberra Wellington Sister City Agreement;
- established the Minister’s Creative Council;
- delivered a new funding model for one-off arts activities through two streams - the Up to $5,000 category and the $5,000 to $50,000 category;
- implemented the government’s pop up arts activities and events initiative, whereby the Belconnen and Tuggeranong Arts Centres will each host a community arts officer, who works with their respective communities in Woden and Gungahlin, to design and deliver collaborative community arts activities and events;
- supported ten organisations with one-off Community Outreach Arts funding to increase participation in the arts, promote collaboration between organisations, artists and the community and establish relationships and/or programs which contribute to long term arts engagement outcomes;
- supported the first stage of the Capacity Building for individual artists program through the Ainslie + Gorman Arts Centres;
- opened applications for the Capacity Building for non-funded arts organisations program to assist arts organisations to increase their business capacity;
- supported organisations currently receiving ongoing arts funding to build capacity in governance, strategic capacity and planning, change and risk management, diversity representation, and cultural awareness, delivered through workshops and one-on-one sessions by Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre and the Canberra Innovation Network;
- funded MusicACT to support capacity building programs for the live contemporary music sector including in artist management, recording, touring, and promoting;
- undertook the role of secretariat for the Meeting of Cultural Ministers and hosted Ministers of arts and culture from across Australia and New Zealand in September 2018;
- continued delivery of the $15 million Belconnen Arts Centre Stage 2 including completion of Phase 1 (detailed design) and commencement of Phase 2 (construction) as well as working with the Belconnen Arts Centre on the development of programs in readiness for the opening of the new centre;
- continued the delivery of improvements to arts centres with design and planning for mechanical system upgrades at several facilities including Ainslie Arts Centre, Gorman House Arts Centre and Tuggeranong Arts Centre, as well as the completion of site remediation works at Strathnairn Arts to manage residual soil contamination;
- continued collaborating with the Suburban Land Agency on the development of the Kingston Arts Precinct; and
- completed three public artwork installations: A Delicate Moment by artists Suzy Bleach and Andy Townsend was launched at Hughes Shops to replace a stolen artwork; Stopping to Smell the Flowers by artist Jimmy Rix was installed in Thorsby; and Transflecting Waterscape by artists Aaron Robinson and Holly Grace was installed in Kingston. Furthermore, a condition assessment and maintenance plan were completed to guide the management of the public art collection.
The directorate met one and exceeded three 2018-19 accountability indicators against this output, specifically:
- Number of arts organisations supporting community participation – 26 ACT arts organisations supported community participation in 2018-19, exceeding the target of 25;
- Tenants satisfaction with management of Community Arts Facilities – 100% satisfaction was achieved, exceeding the target, reflecting the productive working relationships fostered over the year;
- Satisfaction with the management of grants administered by artsACT – an 88% satisfaction rate was achieved, surpassing the target. The result is due to introduction of a new and more flexible and responsive arts activities funding, new capacity building programs, and community outreach arts funding; and
- Number of attendees at programs delivered by artsACT funded organisations – there were 492,767 attendees, a significant increase on the original 350,000 attendees target. The result fluctuates from year to year depending on the types of programs delivered by arts organisations funded by the ACT Government.
Future Direction
In 2019-20 the directorate will:
- continue to support the Minister’s Creative Council;
- develop a new funding model for arts organisations to commence from 2022, with a discussion paper on the new model anticipated to be released for comment in 2019-20;
- expand its role in the development of the Kingston Arts Precinct with the recruitment of team members to manage the relocation of arts organisations to Kingston, including the design development phase and precinct management establishment;
- continue to manage strategic planning related to arts facilities as guided by the Arts Infrastructure Plan which is in development, as well as have a lead role in major capital works and capital upgrades at arts facilities;
- continue to work on future capital works projects at arts facilities, including final design for capital improvements at Ainslie and Gorman House Arts Centres and Strathnairn Arts, as well as critical works related to access at Ainslie and Gorman House Arts Centres; and
- develop a strategic plan for public art in the ACT.
Further information can be obtained from
Kareena Arthy
Deputy Director-General
Economic Development
+ 61 2 6207 5564
Kareena.Arthy@act.gov.au
Sam Tyler
Executive Branch Manager artsACT
Economic Development
+ 61 2 6205 4365
Sam.Tyler@act.gov.au