PROMOTING DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL ... - Western Sydney

1 Institute for Culture and SocietyPROMOTING DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION IN ARTS IN AUSTRALIAA case study reportDr Phillip MarInstitute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney UniversityDistinguished Professor Ien AngInstitute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University1 DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL EXPRESSIONSDIVERSITY OF CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS Published under Creative CommonsAttribution-Noncommercial-NonDeri vative Works LicenseAny distribution must include the following & (2015) PROMOTING DIVERSITY of CULTURAL Expressions in Arts in Australia, Sydney , Australia Council for the THE AUTHORSDr Phillip MarPhillip Mar is an anthropologist by training, with research interests in migration, political emotions, contemporary art and CULTURAL policy.

2 Since 2008, Phillip Mar has been a researcher at the Centre for CULTURAL Research / Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney Professor Ien AngIen Ang is a Distinguished Professor of CULTURAL Studies at the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) at Western Sydney University. She is one of the leaders in CULTURAL studies worldwide, with interdisciplinary work spanning many areas of the humanities and social sciences, focusing broadly on the processes and impacts of CULTURAL flow and exchange in the globalised world. Her books, including Watching Dallas, Desperately Seeking the Audience and On Not Speaking Chinese, are recognised as classics in the field and her work has been translated into many languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Turkish, German, Korean and Spanish.

3 Her most recent book, co-edited with E. Lally and K. Anderson, is The Art of Engagement: Culture, Collaboration, Innovation (2011). She is also the co-author (with Y. Tambiah and P. Mar) of Smart Engagement with Asia: Leveraging Language, Research and Culture, a report for the Australian Council of Learned Academies, (2015).A CASE STUDY REPORT2 PREFACEThis report is an outcome of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Australia Council and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and CULTURAL Organisation (UNSECO) Bangkok to promote CULTURAL DIVERSITY in the Asia- pacific , signed in 2012. The report aims to contribute to understanding and debate of the implications of UNESCO s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the DIVERSITY of CULTURAL Expression, to which Australia became a signatory in 2009.

4 The selection of projects featured in this report was conducted jointly by representatives of the Australia Council, UNESCO Bangkok and the researchers from the Institute for Culture and Society. Projects were selected on the basis of their suitability for a best practice case study report on the interpretation and implementation of the UNESCO Convention with a national and international readership. In-depth interviews were conducted in order to gain an understanding of multiple stakeholder perspectives on the processes and practices in question. Ethnographic material has been supported by analysis of available project documentation, other public documentation and critical writing. Since the research was conducted, many of these projects have evolved considerably.

5 However, the detailed case studies still provide relevant material for discussion and insight on the wide range of practical possibilities to promote DIVERSITY of CULTURAL expressions through the arts. The introduction of the report presents five key principles to advance critical discourse in this field. Signed Dr Phillip Mar Institute for Culture and Society Western Sydney UniversityLydia Miller Executive Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Australia Council for the Arts Date 24th September 2015 Distinguished Professor Ien Ang Institute for Culture and Society Western Sydney UniversityDr Tim Curtis Chief of the Culture Unit UNESCO Bangkok3 DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS4 CONTENTSD iversity of CULTURAL Expressions 1 About the authors 1 Introduction 5 Case study summaries 17 Case studies 25 Visible 25 Arab Film Festival Australia 36 Edge of Elsewhere 48 Metaverse Makeovers 64 TransLab 75 Association of Northern Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA)

6 87 Kultour 104black&write! 117 Appendix A: Interview list 1295 DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL EXPRESSIONSThe Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the DIVERSITY of CULTURAL Expressions was adopted by UNESCO in 2005. This Convention is a legally binding international agreement that ensures artists, CULTURAL professionals, practitioners and citizens worldwide can create, produce, disseminate and enjoy a broad range of CULTURAL goods, services and activities, including their own. The Convention authorises DIVERSITY as a key leitmotiv for CULTURAL policy in the 21st century. In today s interconnected, globalised world CULTURAL DIVERSITY is no longer the peripheral to an otherwise mono- CULTURAL centre, but a central dimension of the entire domain of culture and society.

7 DIVERSITY should be seen as an asset, not a liability, for both individuals and societies. CULTURAL DIVERSITY is now seen as an essential requirement of sustainable development, because a world where DIVERSITY flourishes increases the range of choices for people and communities, thus nurturing their capacities for creativity and innovation. Moreover, PROMOTING and protecting DIVERSITY is essential for world peace, as it boosts the potential for creative dialogues resulting from interactions of diverse cultures, both nationally and globally. Australia became a signatory to this Convention in 2009. Signatories to the Convention take on the right and obligation to develop policies and adopt measures to protect and promote the DIVERSITY of CULTURAL expressions within their territory.

8 In this regard, the Australia Council for the Arts can play a leading role, not just in implementing the Convention in the Australian context, but also in advancing critical reflection on what it means to nurture DIVERSITY of CULTURAL expressions . It should also deepen understanding of the different ways in which artistic work, which represents and extends CULTURAL DIVERSITY , can benefit society at large. This is the aim of this report. The Australia Council already has a rich history of strategic engagement with the promotion and protection of CULTURAL DIVERSITY in the arts. Previous Australia Council policies such as Arts in a Multicultural Australia and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts policy speak to such strategies, which are concerned with making participation in the arts more inclusive of all Australians, irrespective of background or personal circumstances.

9 Since 2007 the Council has adopted an overarching CULTURAL Engagement Framework with the aim of ensuring that the artistic and CULTURAL skills, experience and resources resulting from Australia s social and demographic DIVERSITY are given the opportunity to develop flourish and contribute to a distinctly Australian style of artistic excellence and innovation . In its 2014-2019 strategic plan, the Council envisions Australia as a culturally ambitious nation that draws strength from its DIVERSITY of identities, faiths, individual differences and pursuits. Supporting a diverse range of artists is a central priority for the Council to better reflect and extend the DIVERSITY of CULTURAL expressions in Australia.

10 This report presents a range of innovative artistic and CULTURAL projects, supported by the Australia Council, showcasing the wide variety of initiatives which contribute to the dynamism and vibrancy of Australia s DIVERSITY of CULTURAL expressions. These case studies can function as models for a discussion about the development of best practice in the promotion and protection of DIVERSITY of CULTURAL expressions, not just in Australia but internationally. In this way, the report aims to improve dialogue around, interest in and ultimately increased uptake of the Convention, not just in Australia, and the wider Asia- pacific region. The case studies discussed are: INTRODUCTIONA CASE STUDY REPORT6 The Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA) is an organisation which supports Aboriginal Art Centres across these regions , working together to keep art, country and culture strong.