Growing Pains in the Arts

Join Access Consultant Morwenna Collett to discuss all things relating to disability, access and inclusion in the arts. 

1 in 5 Australians have disability and many of us have different access requirements to actively participate in and engage in the arts.  People with disability are keen consumers of the arts and recent studies show that we are more likely to attend, create, volunteer and give our money to the arts - so including us just makes good business sense!

This session will unpack what good accessibility looks like in the arts. It will cover the basics of disability and the needs of people with various types of access requirements. It will also identify some of the common challenges that artists and arts organisations face in providing access and inclusion for everyone in our community. Participants will learn skills to identify potential access barriers and devise solutions together. 

With a focus on ‘achievable’ accessibility, practical actions and quick wins, we will discuss cost-effective strategies, and ways that participants can work with local people with lived experience of disability in their community to tailor access offerings for their events. The session will share case studies and real-life examples and take a holistic view of how people with disability can be successfully included as artists, audience members and in our workforce.

Participants will walk away with new knowledge, practical tools and a resource pack to continue honing their skills, so that we can all work together to create a more accessible and inclusive arts sector for the future.   

‘Our people are our greatest asset here at XYZ Company’. We hear and say this all the time, but what does being radically people- and values-centric actually look like, particularly in a creative setting? What do we need to learn – and unlearn – to create this environment? How can we as leaders spend less time putting out employee spot fires and more time igniting a potent, people-powered creative culture? And how do we do all this when we feel like we lack time, money, and sometimes - especially if you are a small organisation without a dedicated Human Resources manager – the required expertise?

This session is for anyone who leads organisations and people, particularly if you are currently doing double duty as CEO / a departmental head and HR Manager. With a firm focus on arts and cultural workplaces, we’ll explore:

• The overarching stuff: values, culture, and recognising every employee’s innate leadership and creative capacity   
• The practical stuff: how to infuse a people-centric approach into operational things like recruitment, performance assessment, and employee development
• The problem-solving stuff: before the session, you’ll get the chance to submit any current people-related challenges you have. As a group, we’ll select a few to unpack together. No issue is too big, too small, or too gnarly!

The session will be relaxed, participatory, practical, and suited for arts and culture professionals at any stage of their leadership journey. Given the nature of what we’ll be exploring together, session participation is capped at 20 people and the integrity of the session relies on Chatham House Rules – what we learn can leave with us after the session, but all sensitive information shared remains strictly in the room.

Artists need money to make art. Where can you get it? Grants are one thing, but for many the grant process does not get any, or enough, money for the activities you want.

The Artist as Fundraiser and the Art of Raising Funds workshop will be an introduction to ways to get the resources you need. This is a full-day session for independent artists and creative workers running organisations seeking to amplify their fundraising.

We will dive into…

• Your case for support: building your compelling story
• Fundraising readiness: building your base camp for success
• Boards: fundraising best practice (Board members welcome!)
• Asking: it’s not as scary as you think
• Individual giving: never forget, its people that give. 
• Trusts and Foundations: “to know one Trust and Foundation is to know one Trust and Foundation”.
• Fundraising events: are they worth it? And let’s do them better

Steven Richardson, State Manager for Development and Partnerships at Creative Australia delivers interactive and engaging sessions where you will receive useful information on developing a sustainable arts organisation or practice with opportunities to ask questions for personalised advice for your individual situation and needs.

Late in 2023, the TSO worked with Hobart-based creative agency, The20, and their global research partner OMD, to scope and implement a major market research project. This was the most substantial piece of deep research the TSO has undertaken. We made this investment to truly understand the task ahead as we navigate the audience transition taking place over the next 15 years.

In this workshop, we will share the research and its insights. We will explore the customer segments, behaviours, trends and opportunities for Tasmania’s cultural and creative industries. We’ll also take some time to imagine what an industry-wide approach to audience development (connecting with the ‘novice notetaker’ segment) might look like.

Research objectives:

• Identify trends to anticipate shifts in audience behaviours and preferences
• Analyse the competitive cultural landscape in Tasmania
• Understand the preferences, expectations and behaviours of existing and potential audiences and gain insights into their musical interests, attendance habits and preferred concert experiences
• Measure and evaluate the perception of TSO’s brand amongst the general public and target audience segments
• Identify programs and genres that resonate with different audience segments. 

The research used a mix of methodologies – quantitative (collecting and analysing numerical data), qualitative (interviews and panel discussions) and online intelligence (using tools to analyse online discussions and content consumption). In total, the research involved over 4,100 Australian participants aged 16 and over: 3,500 ‘mainlanders’ and over 600 from across Tasmania.