LARSEN | KEYS – Page 11 – writer | rabble-rouser

In Bed with Animals review

In Bed with Animals is a poetic exposé of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. The experience of one woman and every woman, Bronwyn Lovell’s debut collection captures the ‘wildly frightening’ banality of patriarchy’s bludgeoning of women, animals and the environment.

And another thing: reviving Australian cultural policy

So, Australia has a brand-new National Cultural Policy. And, you know what? I think it’s pretty great.

My latest ‘and another thing’ vlog walk the line between cautious optimism and being a critical friend.

National Cultural Policy revives unfamiliar hope

Yesterday’s National Cultural Policy launch, dubbed Revive by the Federal Government, promised ‘a new era for Australia’s arts, entertainment and cultural sector’ and delivered much-needed optimism at a time when the stakes for artists, arts organisations and audiences have never been so high.

New Year creative reset

It’s time to practise radical self-compassion and care. These tips from me and creative coach Clare Travis should help you do just that.

Reading and writing in 2022

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.