Promoting a more democratic approach to arts policy in Australia
- Posted:
- July 3rd, 2009
- Guest
Dr Tony Moore
Ahead of the launch in Sydney and London last week of a new edited collection, Making Meaning, Making Money: Directions for the arts and cultural industries in the Creative Age, the Australian newspaper published an extract by Monash University’s Dr Tony Moore, a lecturer in Communications and Media Studies with the National Centre for Australian Studies.
View the extract in the Australian, Let’s look beyond the elite
His controversial chapter entitled ‘The Art of Risk in an Age of Anxiety’, argues for a more democratic approach to arts policy in Australia, and for the importance of risk taking in creative production. Dr Moore explores how governments concerned to promote creative industries can enable risk-taking by artists and cultural entrepreneurs from a wider pool of talent engaged in popular culture, rather than over managing elite cultural institutions.
The book, edited by Lisa Anderson and Kate Oakley, was launched last week in London by John Newbigin, leading UK cultural entrepreneur and former policy advisor to Labour leaders Chris Smith, Neil Kinnock and Lord Putnam. Dr Moore joined panelists Prof Oakley, University of the Arts and City University London; Prof David Throsby, Economics, Macquarie University; and Prof Justin O’Connor, Faculty of Creative Industries, Queensland University of Technology. The event was hosted by the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at Kings College London. Simultaneously Making Meaning, Making Money was launched in Sydney at the University of Technology.
Dr Moore’s chapter takes aim at elitism in Australian arts training and funding, and raises questions about the social supports that have assisted the creation of popular music, films, comedies and publications. He said in the Australian, ‘I am critical of the persistent romantic idea of the artist-hero and of the disconnection of Australian arts from contemporary working-class life. We need to counter the dichotomy of artist and philistine masses with an appreciation of the creativity of popular cultural forms, craft skills and the role of audiences in creating value for art.’
Dr Moore asks how governments can parlay creativity from subcultures and the suburbs into mainstream popular culture industries — themes he will pursue in a forthcoming book, Bohemian Nation and an ARC Linkage application.
On the successful London event, Director of the NCAS Bruce Scates said ‘the Centre considers it to be vitally important to establish international partnerships around seminars and conferences to ensure that its scholars’ research has an impact beyond Australia. The partnership with the Menzies Centre and Kings College London will ensure that Australian researchers, artists and policy makers as well as British colleagues have the opportunity to debate the issues raised in Making Meaning, Making Money.’
Further information about Making Meaning, Making Money: Directions for the arts and cultural industries in the Creative Age is available from Cambridge Scholars Publishing