LARSEN | KEYS – Page 4 – writer | rabble-rouser

My 2024 reading year

Reading is never a competition. As a proud book nerd and reading evangelist, I’m passionate that whatever, however and however much you read is wonderful, valuable and valid.

But if neither the size nor style of our reading lists really matter, why do I still set annual estimates for myself that I track, analyse and report against – including the 198 books I read in 2024?

And another thing: our cultural workforce crisis

For those living (or leaving) the national cultural workforce crisis currently being experienced – deeply and distinctively – across Australia’s arts, cultural and for-purpose organisations and sectors, the language of ‘crisis’ isn’t hyperbole, nor something that’s up for debate.

But the last few weeks have reminded me that there are some gaps in this understanding – unfortunately (though not unsurprisingly) from some of the people with the most power to affect change, including board members who aren’t meeting either their fiduciary duties or their duty of care.

Victorian Inquiry into the cultural and creative industries

The Parliament of Victoria’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee has opened an inquiry into (some of the) funding and supports available to Victoria’s cultural and creative industries.

And another thing: Co-CEOs

My latest ‘and another thing’ vlog is on one of the silver(ish) linings of the past few years – the trend towards more arts, cultural and for-purpose organisations restructuring away from impossible ‘magical unicorn’ roles that ask too much of a single CEO, including to more Co-CEO models.

November giveaway

Just in time for end-of-year book-giving season, everyone who subscribes to my free occasional enews in November 2024 will go in the draw to win a copy of The Relationship is the Project: a guide to working with communities.

And another thing: observing the observers

My latest ‘and anothet thing’ vlog is about how we can get better at board training and capacity building – including how we should observe board observership programs.

Contextually fine

Just over a year ago, I was in holiday in Tasmania with my beloved and besties, and pretty bloody happy about it.

It was early September 2023 and I was hanging and chatting with one of my pals in an outdoor hot-tub another had coaxed into warmth with a smokey wood fire. I felt safe and peaceful and surrounded by love. There may have been wine.

We were talking about my poetry book, which had been out in the world a few months. My spa buddy asked, given my creative practice had taken place almost exclusively online for over a decade, how I had fared with the more dangerous sides of digital space – trolling, censorship or other forms of abuse.

And another thing: board solidarity

Boards speak with one voice (except when they don’t).

Unfortunately, not only are we witnessing failures from boards not speaking up about the multiple, massive issues currently affecting their teams, organisations or sectors at the moment, but board members leaking confidential information, or bringing outside agendas into their meetings in an attempt to sway the actions of their boards or the orgs they oversee.

And another thing: bad board maths

Sometimes, no matter how hard we all try, the maths behind Australia’s arts, cultural and non-profit governance simply don’t seem to add up.

The statements we make

As artists, cultural workers and arts organisations, ours is the business of statement-making.

I was reminded of this recently by the work of Portuguese artist Tiago Casanova, whose installation Every wall is a Statement is currently part of the A liberdade e só a Liberdade exhibition (‘Freedom and only freedom’) at The Art and Culture Center of the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation in Évora.

I was also reminded, less pleasantly, by recent rushed and fumbled public statements made by Australian arts and cultural organisations in response to local and global issues or events like last year’s Voice Referendum (or the need for voice, treaty and truth more broadly) and the ongoing genocide in Palestine — including the statements that many have made with their silence.