03 Nov 2014

Re-structure 2014 Conference in Melbourne / Centre for Creative Arts

Re-structure 2014 - A conference discussing the re-structuring of the arts, culture and creative sector in Australia today

This is a free event but requires RSVP: www.trybooking.com/GFKF
Live stream available @ centreforcreativearts.org.au/live

Budget cuts proposed by the Abbott government have instigated a proliferation of restructures across the public sector. These restructures will have far reaching impacts on culture and education in Australia. Not only are we witnessing the manifestation of a markedly neo-liberal policy paradigm with its small government and big society rational, but with so many cultural workers currently sustaining their practice through employment in the public sector, we may also see a failure of a particular kind of Western art professionalism.

How can knowledge sharing and art practice be maintained and organised differently in this time?

This conference looks at the current state of the arts, and considers alternative modes of culture and knowledge production within times of shrinking public expenditures. Featuring participants from performance, fashion, gaming, media and community intervention, the event explores both broader sustainable strategies as well as 'clever partial solutions' to cultural and knowledge production in a post-public sector environment.

In seeking alternatives, the Re-structure Conference looks to the proliferation of smaller scale community economies worldwide, in both on and offline environments, and to the modes of cultural production and knowledge exchange with other sectors such as environmental NGOs.

The conference will include presentations by Dr. Stephen Healy (co-author of Take Back the Economy), Dr Joan Staples (researcher / Environment Victoria), Dr Geert Lovink (Institute of Network Cultures), Angharad Wynne-Jones (artshouse / tippingpoint Australia), Dr. Maria Miranda (artist / researcher / ARI experience), Jon Hawkes (policy analyst / co-founder Circus Oz), Dr. Grace McQuilten (researcher / curator / founder of Social Studio), Siying Zhou (artist, VCA / Melbourne Uni), Trent Kusters (League of Geeks), Dr. Katharine McKinnon (community planer / La Trobe University), Rick Chen (pozible.com), Fee Plumley (artist, digital activist), Vic McEwan (CAD factory) and many more. (See website for more details.)

Contact:
Jan Hendrik Brueggemeier,
curator, Centre for Creative Arts, La Trobe University
email: info@centreforcreativearts.org.au

Keynote by Dr Stephen Healy (co-author of Take Back the Economy)

Panel 1: Artist run initiatives – How gets art into communities and community into arts?
Here current examples of ARI are being discussed that engage with community economies as well as introduces into modes of cultural production within different communities.
Panelists: Dr Maria Miranda, Siying Zhou & Dr Grace McQuilten

Panel 2: Internet and cultural platforms - The merits and disillusions of the Internet
Although the Internet offers means for networking and self-organisation, one question remains: if we can come up with alternative platforms to what current crowd-funding websites are already offering and under which framework could we do that?
Panelists: Trent Kusters, Rick Chen & Fee Plumley

Panel 3: Learning from cross-sectorial experiences
This panel compares the environmental and cultural sector. Issues like the environment or sustainability are similar to the arts and culture not at the top of the list when it comes to funding and lobbying but the environmental sector in Australia, though, seems to have a longer tradition of 'going independent' in terms of funding.
Panelists: Dr Joan Staples, Angharad Wynne-Jones & Vic McEwan

Panel 4: Culture & civil society
Lastly we are pondering into questions of cultural production as a part of civil society and the role of the state as a facilitator of such. Do we need to refresh our bigger picture view here or do we better just keep picking up the pieces while society is moving on?
Panelists: Jon Hawkes, Dr Grace McQuilten & Dr Katharine McKinnon

Panel 5: My.Creativity Sweatshop: A Reality Check on the Creative Industries
– a skype conversation with Dr Geert Lovink, director of the Institute of Network of Cultures, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and co-organiser of My.Creativity Sweatshop: A Reality Check on the Creative Industries.

URLs
restructure2014.net
centreforcreativearts.org.au
networkcultures.org/mycreativity