Less is (still) necessary | What the National Cultural Policy means for South Australia | Ban banning books
And another thing (or two)
Welcome to my words, thoughts and ponderings for March. This enews includes a reminder why less is (still) necessary, some thoughts on what the new National Cultural Policy could mean for South Australia, a call to ban book banning, and some (belated) New Year’s resolutions for Boards.
Less is (still) necessary
‘Artists and arts workers have reached the limits of our endurance,’ fellow SA writer Jennifer Mills wrote in Artlink last month. I couldn’t agree more, which is why I was thrilled to see my #LessIsNecessary campaign get a mention in Jen’s powerful reflection on Vitalstatistix’s 2022 Adhocracy program.
‘Like other industries, the arts and culture sectors are reckoning with insecure work, overwork and inequality,’ Jen said. ‘Many are reflecting on their working conditions, with arts advocates arguing for shorter weeks and fairer workloads through initiatives such as Kate Larsen’s ‘Less is Necessary’ campaign.’
‘Our duty of care for ourselves and others is arguably more important than ever,’ Latoyah Forsyth wrote about my recent webinar with Clare Travis.
‘Larsen raised the inherent and critical link between self care and our duty of care for others, especially as people managers in the arts,’ she says. ‘She called on arts workers to address and overhaul the decades-long system that capitalises on the types of people who put their work, organisation or practice ahead of their own mental wellness and financial sustainability.’
It may be a newish year, but we all bear the fatigue and frustrations of the years that came before. So take care out there, all. Try to resist the increasing pressure to ‘shake it off’ or ‘get over it.’ We not only can’t, we shouldn’t. We need to take this opportunity to review, not simply return to our former poor practices, and to take care of ourselves in order to continue to care for everybody else.
National Cultural Policy: SA edition
I was proud to be part of last month’s Arts Industry Council of SA and Festival City Adelaide webinar on what Australia’s new National Cultural Policy, Revive, might mean for South Australian arts practitioners and organisations.
The panel also included the wisdom of (in alphabetical order): Alysha Herrman, Becc Bates, James Cubillo, Jennifer Layther and Tully Barnett. Catch up with the recording below...
As I wrote for Artshub, ‘Revive’ is an appropriate name for a policy that recognises its deficit starting point and the sector’s ‘post’-COVID exhaustion. It is ambitious without losing perspective on either how hard things are or how much work there is to go. Whether it’s a game-changer or just a very good start, it leaves me with the unfamiliar hope that it will live up to its promise of a place for every story and a story for every place.
For more on the national cultural policy from a South Aussie perspective, I also recommend you check out Jessica Alice in Meanjin on how writers’ voices never fail to cut through or Jennifer Mills in Australian Book Review on the theatre of arts and cultural policy.
The governance gaps (coming soon)
I have just submitted my latest arts governance rant to the Winter edition of Meanjin. It includes some new research that I think will blow people’s minds (it certainly blew mine). Subscribe to Meanjin to get the first look, or check out my previous rabble rousing articles on my website in the meantime.
And another thing… (or two)
‘And another thing’ is my short vlog series about things that interest and/or infuriate me. While usually exclusively for my amazing Patreon followers, my February vlog has a call to action I think we all need to pay attention to.
It was based on news from North Dakota about a new bill that will put librarians in prison for not removing books that depict certain sexual and gender identities, and similar news from Florida about teachers being forced to remove ‘unvetted’ books from the classroom.
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We all have a role in fighting this sort of censorship. I recommend starting with Book Riot's anti-censorship tool-kit or Pen America's banned books list, or joining in the #TransRightsReadathon from 20-27 March.
My March vlog was based on the Gail Perry Group's fantastic list of New Year's Resolutions for Board Members. Let's get on board for a happier new year for us all.
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Enjoy this enews?
I do most of my arts governance research, writing, advocacy and sector development work on a self-funded basis. This includes a range of articles and free resources for the not-for-profit sector (with a particular focus on small-to-medium arts organisations and the artists and practitioners they support).
In 2023, I have cut down my client workload in order to write - with a focus on my debut poetry collection being published by Fremantle Press mid-year, the second edition of The Relationship is the Project is and my independent research into Rethinking Arts Governance.
So, if this enews or any of my work or writing has been of value to you, I’d appreciate you joining me as an advocate, ally or accomplice from just $2.50/month on Patreon).
With big thanks to Sarah for joining my Patreon crew this month.