Artists in Residence
The Artist in Residence Initiative (AIR) is a unique partnership between the Australia Council and State and Territory arts agencies and education departments. The initiative was established in 2008 as a four-year $5.2m initiative of the Commonwealth Government managed by the Australia Council’s Community Partnerships section. In 2010, the AIR became an ongoing program of government.
It aims to expose Australian students to the benefits of creative practice, and is guided by six principles:
> A student’s capacity to discover, imagine and create can be achieved by fostering a culture of creativity in childhood and of innovation in schools
> Schools working closely with arts and cultural individuals (including community elders), arts organisations, local governments and others in their communities to focus on learning outcomes for the student can lead to sustainable relationships
> Engagement with arts and education should take into account cultural differences and diversity
> Investing strategically in creativity learning partnerships inspires collaboration among arts, education and community agencies
> Professional development opportunities for teachers, artists and students to learn together and from each other are essential to partnership success
> Continuously striving to incorporate an ongoing cycle of research, evaluation and
program improvements to help bridge the gap between what we know and what we do.
The AIR is managed and delivered at the State and Territory level consistent with State and Territory aims; therefore, each State and territory has a different model of AIR informed by the needs of its own jurisdiction.
Click here for individual state and territory contacts and program information
Images: Ritchie Ares Dona’s 2010 residency at Ulverstone High, Tasmania.
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