Mailing address for CAMD, Daryl Karp AM Chair, CAMD Website: www.camd.org.au Director, Museum of Australian Democracy at ABN 57 618 336 542 Old Parliament House PO Box 3934 | Manuka | ACT 2603 | Australia

Submission from the Council of Australasian Museum Directors (CAMD)

Executive Summary

CAMD museums care for, and provide connections with, what we value as a community. Museums are part of what brings us together and are safe and trusted places with universal interest and access.

CAMD museums are curators of Australasia’s foundation environmental, social and cultural history collections, and facilitators of research and education across the sciences and humanities based on these collections.

Museums are an important part of Australia’s creative and cultural landscape, and within the creative and cultural economy, museums make substantial contributions across economic, environmental, social and cultural domains.

CAMD museum attendance and performance is comparable with similar museums globally. CAMD museums are major entertainment and heritage attractions within Australasia’s tourism industry,

CAMD museum business models have been severely impacted by Covid-19 as a result of closures, restrictions and reductions in visitation.

Recommendations:

i. establish a cultural and creative industries policy to inform future federal government priorities and directions ii. establish a framework for the remit of the Communications and Arts Portfolio to focus on the interconnectedness of Creative and Cultural industries as a major economic driver (- recognising the interconnectedness and scope of cultural and creative industries drawing from, for example, the UK model which includes design, marketing, gaming etc) iii. provide funding for a shared digital infrastructure for cultural institutions to collect, preserve and provide open access to Australia’s heritage iv. support the contribution of museums to building social capital and community cohesion in the context of the impacts of Covid-19.

AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL MUSEUM • AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR THE MOVING IMAGE • AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM • AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM • AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL • CANTERBURY MUSEUM • SYDNEY LIVING MUSEUMS • HISTORY TRUST SA • MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES (POWERHOUSE) • MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRACY AT OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE • MUSEUM OF NEW ZEALAND – TE PAPA TONGAREWA • MUSEUMS VICTORIA • MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY • NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA • QUESTACON – NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE • OTAGO MUSEUM • QUEEN VICTORIA MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY • QUEENSLAND MUSEUM NETWORK•• SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM • TASMANIAN MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY • THE SOVEREIGN HILL MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION • WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM Page 1

In these settings museums are viewed as among the most popular cultural activities in Canada.

In Australia, museums (and galleries) are the most popular tourist attractions in the heritage and entertainment sectors (- and attracted 60% more visitors than organised sporting events in 2018-19).

In addition to their roles as custodians of what we value, museum-based research and education contributes to addressing the global challenges facing us in, for example, the information revolution and in food, water, resource, and climate security.

By bringing diverse perspectives from STEM and the Humanities (including the enabling and authorising social, cultural, political and legal environments essential for adoption), museums make a significant contribution to the creative economy. 3. Context for museums in creative economy

Museums operate as part of the wider ecosystem of the creative and cultural landscape. Here synergies between museums and other participants across the creative economy deliver outcomes greater than the sum of the parts.

In the UK DCMS places museums within the creative industries cluster and observes synergies across the cluster. Creative Industries in the UK employed 2.10 million people in 2019, an increase of 34.5% from 2011. This is more than three times the growth rate of employment in the UK overall (11.4%), reflecting the growing economic importance of the sector.

(000 jobs) UK categorisation of Creative industries

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In Australia, a narrower view is taken for the definition of creative industries (- see BCAR October 2020). Nevertheless, thought leadership within these industries has a broader impact on Australia’s economy.

Australian Categorisation of Creative Industries

Source: BCAR (2020)

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Environmental

Collections

Biodiversity and geology collections held in Australasian museums provide the foundation for biological and geological research.

Taxonomy and systematics comprise the describing, naming and classifying of nature, and studying its origins and interrelationships. This type of research is essential for environmental assessments. It forms the basic building blocks of the study of nature and is a key science on which many others depend.

Natural science collections can be compared with libraries but are made up of specimens and objects rather than books. Specimens and objects are regularly borrowed, studied and returned. Unlike libraries, the information from each new study is added to the records, enriching our knowledge and understanding of the objects and specimens in the collections.

The Museum's collections reduce the need for scientists to collect new specimens or objects when conducting research. This is especially important when research is focused on endangered or vulnerable species, and in the case of mineralogical collections where access to sites is no longer practicable (or even possible). The collections are of increasing importance in a changing world where our natural environments are being rapidly degraded.

Access and engagement

Museum collections have varied histories. Contemporary collections are today becoming more accessible through digitisation projects and data management systems such as the Atlas of Living Australia.

Such projects have increased the reach and power of collections. Nevertheless, visual inspection, DNA and chemical analysis and analysis of associated metadata require access to collections.

Links to the community have become much stronger, both through the engagement of volunteers, and through the development of powerful citizen science projects such as FrogID. Socio-cultural

The socio-cultural contribution of museums is diverse and readily identified in the objectives of Australasian museums across learning, education, civics and citizenship and in representing and understanding our shared heritage and values. Individual CAMD museums focus on these elements, in some cases quite specifically such as Questacon’s science education programs, the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House civics and citizenship programs, and the diverse First Nations and migration and multicultural museum programs across many of CAMD’s members.

Such programs are supported by CAMD museum collections totalling almost 70 million items across 22 museums in Australasia. These collections describe our economic, environmental, social and cultural history.

These collections and the associated exhibitions and programs in CAMD museums make a substantial contribution to learning and education especially in STEM, civics and the humanities. Australasian museums contribute significantly to the quality of schools education programs in these areas and achieve global benchmarks for student visits in formal educational groups as illustrated below (Table 3). Page 8

2014-19 2018-19

27% 29%

7% 66% 64% 7%

Total Commercial Income Total Commercial Income Total Non-Commercial Income Total Non-Commercial Income Total Government Funding Total Government Funding

Figure 2: Percentage proportion of commercial income, non-commercial income and government funding – 2014-19 and 2018- 19 (AUD only). References

Australian Museum. 2020. https://australian.museum/learn/collections/natural-science/

Bureau of Communications and Arts Research (BCAR). (October, 2020) Cultural and creative activity in Australia: 2008–09 to 2017–18 – visual summary. AG, DITRDC. https://www.communications.gov.au/file/50866/download?token=Nx7qWyB3.

Council of Australasian Museum Directors (CAMD). 2020. CAMD annual survey 2018-19.

Culture Track: Canada. 2018. Business / Arts with LaPlaca Cohen. Nanos Research. http://www.businessandarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/CT-Canada-Report.pdf pp. 15-16.

Gan, L. 2020. Museums: they’re good for your health. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/museums-they-re-good-for-your-health.

Grüb, B. & Sebastian Martin, S. 2020. Public value of cultural heritages – towards a better understanding of citizen’s valuation of Austrian museums, Cultural Trends, DOI: 10.1080/09548963.2020.1822142

Oxford Economics. 2020. The projected economic impact of Covid-19 on the UK creative industries.

Tourism Research Australia (TRA). 2018-19. https://www.tra.gov.au/ & Statistical Enquiry Service - Research & Analysis Branch. Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). Appendices

A. Council of Australasian Museum Directors (CAMD) membership B. CAMD museum sites C. Terms of Reference

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APPENDIX A Mailing address for CAMD,

Daryl Karp AM Website: www.camd.org.au Chair, CAMD Director, Museum of Australian Democracy at ABN 57 618 336 542 Old Parliament House PO Box 3934 | Manuka | ACT 2603 | Australia

Council of Australasian Museum Directors (CAMD) members – October 2020

Katrina Sedgwick OAM Director & CEO Australian Centre for the Moving Image Kim McKay AO *Executive Director & CEO Australian Museum Kevin Sumption PSM Director & CEO Australian National Maritime Museum David Gaimster *Executive CEO Auckland War Memorial Museum Matt Anderson PSM Director Australian War Memorial Anthony Wright Director Canterbury Museum Greg Mackie OAM CEO History Trust of South Australia Lisa Havilah CEO Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Marcus Schutenko Director Territory Daryl Karp AM Museum of Australian Democracy at Old *Chair Director Parliament House Lynley Crosswell CEO Museums Victoria Mathew Trinca AM Director National Museum of Australia Ian Griffin Director Otago Museum Jim Thompson Director & CEO Queensland Museum Graham Durant AM Director Questacon Tracy Puklowski Director of Creative Arts and Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery Cultural Services, City of Launceston Brian Oldman *Executive Director South Australian Museum Sara Quon *Treasurer CEO Sovereign Hill Museums Association Adam Lindsay Executive Director Sydney Living Museums Courtney Johnston CEO Te Papa Janet Carding *Deputy Chair Director Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery Alec Coles OBE *Executive CEO Western Australian Museum

* CAMD Executive members

AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL MUSEUM • AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR THE MOVING IMAGE • AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM • AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM • AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL • CANTERBURY MUSEUM • SYDNEY LIVING MUSEUMS • HISTORY TRUST SA • MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES (POWERHOUSE) • MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRACY AT OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE • MUSEUM OF NEW ZEALAND – TE PAPA TONGAREWA • MUSEUMS VICTORIA • MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY • NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA • QUESTACON – NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE • OTAGO MUSEUM • QUEEN VICTORIA MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY • QUEENSLAND MUSEUM NETWORK•• SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM • TASMANIAN MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY • THE SOVEREIGN HILL MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION • WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C

Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts

Inquiry into Australia’s creative and cultural industries and institutions

Terms of Reference

The Committee will inquire into Australia's creative and cultural industries and institutions including, but not limited to, Indigenous, regional, rural and community based organisations.

The Committee will consider:

 The direct and indirect economic benefits and employment opportunities of creative and cultural industries and how to recognise, measure and grow them

 The non-economic benefits that enhance community, social wellbeing and promoting Australia's national identity, and how to recognise, measure and grow them

 The best mechanism for ensuring cooperation and delivery of policy between layers of government

 The impact of COVID-19 on the creative and cultural industries; and

 Avenues for increasing access and opportunities for Australia's creative and cultural industries through innovation and the digital environment.

AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL MUSEUM • AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR THE MOVING IMAGE • AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM • AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM • AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL • CANTERBURY MUSEUM • SYDNEY LIVING MUSEUMS • HISTORY TRUST SA • MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES (POWERHOUSE) • MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRACY AT OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE • MUSEUM OF NEW ZEALAND – TE PAPA TONGAREWA • MUSEUMS VICTORIA • MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY • NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA • QUESTACON – NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE • OTAGO MUSEUM • QUEEN VICTORIA MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY • QUEENSLAND MUSEUM NETWORK•• SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM • TASMANIAN MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY • THE SOVEREIGN HILL MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION • WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM