NAVA: in conversation

What would an artist run world look like? Imagine if artistic courage was a guiding force in the policy arena. What sort of cities could we build? What sort of housing, health, schooling, agriculture, transport or data governance could we put in place? In the lead up to the federal election, 7 artists and critical thinkers joined us for a feisty conversation about voting for a world fit for artists and culture makers.

Bek Conroy hosted this conversation with guests: Alex Wisser (Cementa Festival), Bec Dean (The Big Anxiety), Jehan Kanga, Jess Cook (107 Projects), Louise Crabtree (Institute Society and Culture, WSU), Nadeena Dixon and Ange Abdilla (Old Ways, New).

630pm - 730pm Thursday May 8

Venue: 107 Projects at 107 Redfern St, Redfern NSW 2016

Keynote recorded live at Australian Cultural Policy: The Next Decade, presented by Monash University’s Masters of Cultural & Creative Industries and NAVA at the State Library of Victoria on 8 April 2019.

“We need a national cultural policy that’s grounded in First Nations sovereignty and the NAVA Code of Practice... Cuts to the arts affect the Australian identity.”

Gabi Gabi / Kabi Kabi and Wiradjuri artist and academic Dr Bianca Beetson gave the artists’ keynote and response to Shadow Minister for the Arts the Hon Tony Burke at Australian Cultural Policy: The Next Decade, presented by Monash University’s Masters of Cultural & Creative Industries and NAVA at the State Library of Victoria on 8 April 2019.

Dr Beetson studied a Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) at the Queensland University of Technology 1993-95, completed Honours in 1998 and was awarded a Doctorate of Visual Arts in 2018. She is a visual artist who works in a broad range of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, photography and public art. She is a former member of the seminal Aboriginal artists collectives Campfire Group and ProppaNow. Dr Beetson is the Program leader of the Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art degree at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University and was recently appointed to the QAGOMA Board of Trustees.

In this podcast, Dr Beetson speaks of the need to legislate against fake ‘Aboriginal-style’ art and its cultural harm, to establish a national Aboriginal arts authority, keeping places and a repatriation fund, as well as climate change policy because there are several sacred sites currently at risk of permanent loss to rising sea levels.

NAVA's Esther Anatolitis in conversation with Girramay/Kuku Yalanji artist, Tony Albert and Noonuccal Nuugi playwright and theatrical director, Wesley Enoch discussing the role of artistic courage amidst our nation's current state of political confusion.

Artist Adrian Villar Rojas sits down with Coby Edgar to discuss the research methodologies informing his exploration of Australia as a potential site for future works. The conversation covers Adrian's practice, narratives of colonial violence and the tenuous relationship between audience, artist and curator played out in cultural institutions.

NAVA's Penelope Benton in conversation with Chinese-Australian artist Amy Suo Wu and artist, curator and founder of Feminist South, Kelly Doley.

Feminist South is a curatorial project and research platform spanning across 2017-2019 that aims to generate discussion on contemporary feminist practice located in and around Asia, Australia and the Pacific regions.

In collaboration with I: project space, Feminist South is currently presenting 'Thunderclap', a part-shop, part-sewing workshop and part-exhibition by Amy Suo Wu at the Artspace Sydney Ideas Platform until 10 March 2019.

‘As artists we have to keep questioning and being really honest about what’s going on’ Karla Dickens, 2019.

Artist Karla Dickens sits down with Penelope Benton to discuss her most recent work in the new Artspace exhibition; ‘Just not Australian’. The conversation covers Karla’s practice and approach to making work, her Copyright Agency fellowship, and the responsibility of artists to make clear and honest work.

Ku Arts​ is the South Australian support organisation for Aboriginal artists and art centres, and recently hosted a professional development symposium and workshop in Port Augusta.

Penelope sat down for a conversation with Alison (Milyika) Carroll, an artist and the chair of Ernabella Arts​ (APY Lands), David Miller an artist and chair of Ku Arts and Ninuku Arts​ (APY Lands), Lavene Ngatokoroua, the director of Ku Arts Port Augusta region, on the board of Ku Arts, recipient of the 2018 NAIDOC Lifetime achievement award in Port Augusta and Marie Falcinella, the CEO of Ku Arts.

‘Both the ‘Community and Cultural Development’ (CACD) and the ‘Emerging and Experimental Arts’(EEA) sector are the vanguards of the exploration of new genres of artistic practice and artistic practice and I think it’s a really exciting part of the Australian arts ecology as we move into the future’ -Jeremy Smith

In the midst of travelling around remote and regional Australia, Jeremy Smith sits down the Esther Anatolitis at the NAVA office to talk about his role at the Australia Council for the Arts, and the future of community, emerging and experimental arts in Australia. The conversation covers Jeremy's career trajectory, recent projects and future plans.

Jeremy provides provocations for artists and organisations working in Australia, and asks 'what difference can I make in the here and now?'

'Any conversation becomes easier when there is a starting point of universal and collective understanding' Joe Toohey

Joe Toohey is the Executive Director of Regional Arts Victoria and he sat down with Esther Anatolitis in Melbourne to discuss Artlands 2018.

Artlands is the national biennial event for regional arts in Australia, and was held this year in Bendigo. For information about the program, and future events, head to their website​.

For this episode, Penelope Benton chats with Meagan Shand, CEO of Arts Access Australia about this year's 'Meeting Place' forum held in Alice Springs.

Arts Access Australia is the national peak body for arts and disability in Australia. They work to increase national and international opportunities and access to the arts for people with disability as artists, arts-workers, participants and audiences.

'Meeting Place' is AAA's annual forum, and brings together artists and arts workers in Australia to talk about best practice in disability and access in the arts. This year's event co-hosted with NT's Incite Arts.

Details about Meeting Place including the live stream of the sessions can be found on their website: https://www.meetingplaceforum.org/