Welcome to the April issue of Art Smarts

The redevelopment of the MCA and the recent announcement about the new Australian Pavilion for the Venice Biennale reminded me of the importance of philanthropy to the continued growth of the Australian arts scene.   These are just two outstanding examples of individual giving in what recent research shows to be an overall positive trend in private sector support for the arts.

But there is still plenty more to be done - with almost 40 per cent of Australia's highest earners giving nothing to charity, according to a 2011 report from QUT's Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies.

In an essay accompanying the Mitchell Review, researcher Hugh Mackay spares no criticism for the individualistic Boomers and holds out hope that the tribal Y generation can transform the culture of philanthropy in Australia.

Those of us at the Statistics Working Group of the Meeting of Cultural Ministers in Hobart last month worked through an interesting agenda on cultural research and statistics and then took in the real thing at MONA.   The following week the Arts and Cultural Ministers met in Melbourne and discussed, among other things, the Australian Government’s new National Cultural Policy and the development of an Arts Accord between jurisdictions and with the private sector, recognising that real change will be optimised through partnerships.

Bridget Jones

Research Manager

Research and Strategic Analysis

Top reading

Arts leaders outline the opportunity build philanthropic support for the arts
Research and commentary - March 2012

The Sydney Morning Herald has profiled influential leaders calling for other rich Australians to start giving more of their wealth to charities and philanthropic causes.

Research conducted for the Mitchell Review found those earning over $1 million a year give less than 2% of their income to charity, compared with a global average of 10%.

A University of Toronto paper exploring crowdfunding in the arts in the USA looks at the factors of personal relationship and geography in investor decisions, and concludes that online crowd funding offers an important opportunity to build finance from distant strangers. 

QUT's Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies also released new research in March, 'Foundations for Giving: why and how Australians structure their philanthropy'. Their key takeout messages for Nonprofits will be of interest to arts organisations pursuing philanthropic support this year.

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Funding and policy making - Management and marketing - Research and academia

Funding and policy making

Measuring cultural value discussions
Videos from the Australia Council for the Arts - April 2012

Hasan Bakhshi, Director of Creative Industries at NESTA (UK) spoke to a gathering of arts professionals in Sydney about the need for more sophisticated public funding decisions for culture. His keynote address and the subsequent panel discussion featuring Terry Cutler, Lachlan MacDowell and Anne Maria Nicholson are now available online.  You can also access a list of measurement resources on our research hub. 

Creative intersections: Partnerships between the arts, culture and other sectors
Report from the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) - April 2012

The final report on creative intersections has been released, finding a strong case for strengthening the role of art and culture in society.  The report's biography, resource lists and case studies portray an inspiring and diverse range of partnerships that exist between the arts and other sectors.

Culture boom: How digital media are invigorating Australia
Report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Google - April 2012

Whilst online media still accounts for only 14% of Australian media revenue, this recent report by the BCG predicts online media to boom.  The authors outline an important opportunity for the cultural sector, pointing to the value consumers place on online content portals such as YouTube above and beyond any price paid. 

The report also notes our strong export market for online content such as video.  Eighty-six per cent of Australian online video content is consumed outside Australia, with Americans watching 2.2 times as much Australian-generated content as Australians.

American arts lovers feel the results of funding cuts in Europe
News from the New York Times - March 2012

A US newspaper has reported that Europe’s economic problems, and the austerity programs meant to address them, are affecting the US arts market.  Several European arts institutions are scaling back programs and tours of the US, resulting in changes in the quantity and quality of arts opportunities for US audiences.  The author also reports that increased focus on private fundraising will increase the level of competition internationally. 

Budget boost for UK's creative industries
News from UK's Department of Culture, Media and Sport - March 2012

The UK Chancellor has announced plans to introduce tax relief for the animation, video games and high-end TV production sectors subject to state aid approval and following consultation. This boost for the local production industry is forecast to increase the sector’s contribution to the UK economy by £280 million over the next five years.

International arts leaders to share their views on IFACCA's new YouTube channel
Videos from IFACCA - March 2012

IFACCA has released a one-minute clip of Alan Davey, CEO of Arts Council England and Chair of IFACCA on their new YouTube channel, along with links to videos from IFACCA's World Summits in 2009 and 2011. The series of short video interviews with CEOs of arts councils and ministries of culture will be released with each issue of their newsletter Acorns. 

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Management and marketing

Latest appointments in Australia's leading arts organisations
Commentary from The Australian - March 2012

In this article in The Australian, Matthew Westwood explores some recent changes in leadership at in several major arts organisations, and the recruiting industry behind the high profile appointments. His article comes after three years of steady turnover of artistic and executive leaders in Australia, across all art forms.

SociABILITY: social media for people with a disability
Research and resources from Media Access Australia - April 2012

Media Access Australia have released a review of social media accessibility for people with a disability. The review also includes practical tips and workarounds, developed in consultation with social media users who have a disability. 

Digital technology in museums, libraries and archives
Videos from WebWise 2012 and the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Videos are now available from the WebWise 2012 conference featuring representatives of museums, libraries, and archives in the USA in discussion about digital technology opportunities. Highlights include panel discussions on mobile technology as a means of engaging people, crowd sourcing in public history work and data visualisations in the cultural heritage field.

Changes to visual arts law
News from the Sydney Morning Herald - March 2012

In this news article Wendy Frew has profiled a new consignment regime that will impact the visual arts sector. The Personal Properties Securities Act, which came into effect on 30 January 2012 and requires artists to lodge ownership of their consigned work with an electronic register that can be searched by potential buyers. Artists previously relied on consignment notes to prove they owned their work.

Research and evaluation

Importance of the arts for children and young people
Research and evaluation from Victorian and Western Australian Governments - February 2012

This research and evaluation into arts education partnerships has recently been released by the Victorian Government.  It includes a review of international research into arts education partnerships, as well as an evaluation of the impact of the Victorian program on student outcomes.

This inaugural report from the WA Commissioner for Children and Young People's 'Thinker in Residence' program has found that creativity in the classroom improves not only student academic achievement, but also significantly boosts confidence, communication skills and motivation. The report outlines need for a systemic approach to creative teaching in schools across Western Australia.

Art improves stroke survivors' quality of life
Research from the European Society of Caridology - March 2012

New research conducted in Europe has found that stroke survivors who like art have a significantly higher quality of life than those who do not. Patients who appreciated music, painting and theatre recovered better from their stroke than patients who did not, leading the researchers to make conclusions about the arts' impacts on the brain.

Another recent article by Gary Christenson, M.D. contains a broader review of recent findings in support of a bigger role for the arts in medicine - with the arts shown to have preventative and therapeutic patient benefits, and positive impacts on physicians. 

It’s just a joke: Defining and defending (musical) parody
Paper from the Australian Institute of Public Affairs

The 2006 amendment to copyright laws to exempt and protect parodies, so that ‘Australia’s fine tradition of poking fun at itself and others will not be unnecessarily restricted’ is expected to spark legal debates about the definition of parody. A recent paper from the Australian Review of Public Affairs argues that unlike piracy, plagiarism and forgery, parody makes a positive contribution to culture and even to the original artists whose work is parodied.

Innovation in arts and culture - and the need for stronger understanding
Analysis and commentary from Hasan Bakhshi of Nesta (UK) and Ben Eltham (Australia) - April 2012

In the first instalment of a series on research and development, Nesta's Director of Creative Industries Hasan Bakhshi explains the UK's Digital R&D fund, and its attempt to foster innovation in the arts whilst building an evidence base for further exploration.

He joins other commentators in highlighting a lack of understanding about the role of the arts and culture in innovation, as compared with science and technology. 

In the International Journal of Cultural Policy, a paper by Ben Eltham critiques recent research on innovation in the cultural and creative industries, including Paul Stoneman’s idea of ‘soft innovation’. He argues that our understanding of innovation in the cultural sphere can benefit from a multi-disciplinary approach grounded in the full gamut of human creativity.

The UK's Coalition Government published its Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth in late 2011.

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