Looking for allies for arts governance

From the start of 2023, I began reducing my client workload in order to write – with a focus on my debut poetry collection (Public. Open. Space, Fremantle Press), the second edition of The Relationship is the Project and my independent research into rethinking arts governance – which will continue as my focus in 2024 as I develop it into a book-length manuscript.

If my work or writing has been of value to you, I’d appreciate you joining me as an advocate, ally or accomplice from just $2.50/month on Patreon).

I undertake the majority of my research, writing, advocacy and sector development work on a self-funded basis. This includes recent articles and provocations related to not-for-profit governance, such as:

• And Another Thing vlog: on cultural safety (2024)
• And Another Thing vlog: how to chair a meeting (2024)
• And Another Thing vlog: governance and menopause (2024)
• Dear arts organisations: risk and reputation management, crisis communications and duty of care from the pointy intersection of arts and human rights advocacy (2024)
• And Another Thing vlog series: Board members, we need to talk about Palestine (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: duty of care (2023)
• Beyond the Governance Gaps (Meanjin Winter 2023)
• Doing it Differently: Fit-For-Purpose Governance Models (Creative Australia webinar, 2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: designing our governance model from scratch (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: are we being gaslit about arts governance? (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: New Year’s resolutions for Board members (2023)
• We can do better than Boards report (2023)
• Boards can do better report (2022)
• Bad, better and beyond best practice report (2022)
• Post-COVID or post-burnout: less is necessary (commissioned by Artshub, 2022)
• What does ‘less is necessary’ look like?  (commissioned by Artshub, 2022)
• Preparing a cultural policy scorecard (commissioned by Overland, 2022)
• Bad news Boards (originally published by Artshub, 2022)
• Art of Governance survey and findings (2022)
• Resetting our Arts Boards (originally published by Artshub, 2021)
• Changing the culture of arts governance (commissioned by Overland, 2020)
• The art of governance (commissioned by Meanjin, 2020)

As well as other free resources for the not-for-profit sector (with a particular focus on small-to-medium arts organisations and the artists and practitioners they support), such as:

• And Another Thing vlog: the politics of publishing (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: online platforms and profiles (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: less is still necessary (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: Zoom fatigue and our hybrid future (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: too-much-work for too-little-pay is a problem we can solve (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: protesting South Australia’s new anti-protest laws (2023)
• Tears for peers: the hidden costs of arts funding (commissioned by Overland, 2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: ban book bans (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: self-care isn’t selfish (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: artists leaving arts practice (2023)
• And Another Thing vlog: reviving Australian cultural policy (2023)
• New Year creative reset (originally published by Artshub, 2023)
• The art of connection: artist spaces in the city (commissioned by City of Adelaide, 2021)
• Putting people first post COVID-19 (originally published by Pro Bono Australia, 2021)
• Our Hybrid Future: making art work onsite and online (2021)
• All hole and no plot: fixing Australia’s literary sector (commissioned by Overland, 2020)
• Funding inclusion (originally published by Pro Bono Australia, 2020)
• The Relationship is the Project (Brow Books, 2020)
• List of Aussie publishers
• Tips for writing great arts grant applications
• Tips for running great online workshops
• Best practice arts language
• Disability models and language
• How to be the best Board member you can be
• And a range of advocacy tools and submission templates (like the recent national cultural policy consultation submission)

As well as creative reflections and reading recommendations.

If there are particular governance issues that are irking or inspiring you, that you would like me to respond to or add into my research, or that you would like to collaborate on, I’d love to hear from you.

Shout out to my amazing patrons

Patreon is just one of the strategies writers, artists and thinkers employ to support our work. I am new to this journey, but have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of my amazing patrons, who have included: Laurie, Kate, Alex, Jade, Jenine, Rachel, Gareth, Emma, Cassie, Lucy, Leanne, Alysha, Jill, Shantel, Kathie, Sarah, Jaclyn, Jude, Tarsha, Evrim, Adele, Simone, June and Sheridan.

But enough about me: let’s be allies for artistic basic income

Patreon is an awkward, exciting and overwhelming adventure that we wouldn’t need to attempt if Australia had a Liveable Income Guarantee or Basic Income that addressed practitioners’ precarious and subsistence living conditions and recognised arts and cultural workers as essential workers, with the same rights as those in other industries.

Arts participation is often talked about as a human right, but less is said about the rights of the people making that art. As artists and allies, we need to take every opportunity to lobby for a minimum basic income scheme, wage standards, job guarantees, fellowships, public employment opportunities, other forms of income support, or for Australia to follow international examples to support those who are out of work without current ‘mutual obligation’ requirements. 

We also need policy settings around arts education and training, protection of copyright and intellectual property, support for mobility and export, innovative business models, fit-for-purpose legislative, regulatory, tax and investment incentives, expanded collective bargaining rights, removal of tax on prizes and grants, and changes to superannuation and tax legislation to ensure artists receive superannuation on all client income. Read Jennifer Mills’ powerful and practical submission to the National Cultural Policy consultation for more.

Not doing so risks homogenising the types of artists who can afford to work for so little return, and making creative practice something only the wealthy and privileged can afford.

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If any of my work or writing has been of value to you, I’d appreciate you joining me as an advocate, ally or accomplice from just $2.50/month on Patreon).