I blew my personal reading record out of the water last year, topping out at 212 books in 2022 – far exceeding the 147 I read in 2021 (mostly thanks to 3+ months of COVID recovery and a lot of sleepless nights).
Continue reading “Reading and writing in 2022”Public. Open. Space. is ‘one to watch’
2023 will be ‘the year of the home-grown book,’ Jane Sullivan writes in The Age / Sydney Morning Herald. ‘The pandemic is fading as a popular topic, but we’re still preoccupied with climate change, racism and sexism. It’s notable how many books, particularly life stories, are written by women and non-binary people.’
Surprised and delighted to find my own collection of poetry, Public.Open.Space., included on her list of standout titles you’re going to read in 2023.
Continue reading “Public. Open. Space. is ‘one to watch’”Boards can do better
In the first part of my Bad, Better and Beyond Best Practice report from AICSA’s Rethinking Arts Governance event in October 2022, I identified the main reason organisations have Boards as that we’re required to do so.
While I’d dearly like our sector to imagine a radically different future for arts governance, the truth is – in the meantime – we’re stuck with what we’ve got.
Continue reading “Boards can do better”Bad, better and beyond best practice
In October 2022, the Arts Industry Council of South Australia invited me to lead a full day of discussions at their Bad, Better and Beyond Best Practice: Rethinking Arts Governance event.
Continue reading “Bad, better and beyond best practice”Tips on managing a precarious freelance career
‘One of the first lessons I had to learn in balancing client-work with my own creative practice was that sticking to strict work days wasn’t possible,’ I wrote recently for Artshub.
Continue reading “Tips on managing a precarious freelance career”What does ‘less is necessary’ look like?
It’s been a difficult few years for everybody. With the pandemic joining floods, bushfires and nearly a decade of arts funding cuts, Australia’s arts sector has never been more vulnerable.
As a result, we now find ourselves in the midst of a new crisis: one characterised by sector-wide burnout, staff shortages, ‘post’-pandemic exhaustion, and breaking (or already broken) teams. Which puts a whole generation of artists and arts leaders at risk.
Continue reading “What does ‘less is necessary’ look like?”Post-COVID or post-burnout: less is necessary
As a sector, we came together in 2020 and 2021 with extraordinary responsiveness and resilience, and began this year with the hope 2022 would be better, easier, or at least somehow different. Australia had reopened, interstate and international travel was once again possible, and our organisations equipped with new skills to meet artists’ and audiences’ changing needs.
Continue reading “Post-COVID or post-burnout: less is necessary”Bad news Boards
The suggestion that Australian arts organisations should reset (or even remove) their Boards has clearly struck a nerve.
Within days of my provocation at the 2021 Reset Conference, I was inundated with responses from all over the world. This included hundreds of social media posts, pages of emails and dozens of interviews that acted both as an overwhelming affirmation of the proposal and a depressing indictment of the state of the sector and the broken governance models we’re forced to work within.
Continue reading “Bad news Boards”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, cultural and for-purpose governance – which will remain my focus in 2026 as I hope to publish 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).
Continue reading “Looking for allies for arts governance”Have your say on the new national Cultural Policy
The Federal Government is developing a 10-year cultural policy, and has invited anyone involved or interested Australian art, culture or entertainment to have their say.
If you listen to Australian music, read, watch local-made TV, enjoy going to performances, exhibitions or shows, participate or make any sort of art, this means YOU. Our sector needs as many people to respond as possible to make sure the policy reflects the full diversity of Australian arts and culture.
Continue reading “Have your say on the new national Cultural Policy”
LARSEN | KEYS 