Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia

Australia Council for the Arts, Policy on Arts 7. Monitoring and Evaluation for a Multicultural Australia, Sydney, Australia Council for the Arts, 1993. 7.1 Targets 7.2 Classification Criteria Contents 7.3 Evaluation of Objectives and Strategies The Australia Council and its Charter The Future Multiculturalism and Cultural Diversity

Multiculturalism and Public Policy The Australia Council and its Charter Multiculturalism and the Arts The Australia Council was established in 1973 The Australia Council's Policy on Arts to support and encourage practice of the arts for a Multicultural Australia and to assist in the development of a strong cultural life in this country. The Australia - Aims Council Act of 1975 lists the following Council - Key Concepts and Practices functions: - Strategies • to promote excellence in the arts; 1. Appointments to Decision-making Bodies • to provide, and encourage the provision of, 2. Applications opportunities for persons to practise the arts;

2.1 Peer Assessment • to promote the appreciation, understanding 2.2 Information and enjoyment of the arts; 2.3 Financial Support • to promote the general application of the arts 3. Policy Development and Implementation in the community;

3.1 Multicultural Advisory Committee • to foster the expression of a national identity 3.2 Program Manager, Multicultural by means of the arts; 3.3 Implementation Committee • to uphold and promote the right of persons 4. Staff Appointments and Training to freedom in the practice of the arts;

4.1 Staff Appointments • to promote the knowledge and appreciation 4.2 Training of Australian arts by persons in other countries; 5. Australia Council's Relations with other Organisations • to promote incentives for, and recognition of, achievement in the practice of the arts; and 6. Research and Publications

Making Multicultural Australia Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia 1 • to encourage the support of the arts by the population speak a language other than English States, local governing bodies and other at home. persons and organisations... In response to this diversity governments across The Council recognises that Australian society is Australia have committed themselves to the culturally and ethnically diverse. It believes that policy of multiculturalism. The policy is based Australian culture has been enriched, challenged on the belief that all Australians must be able to and altered by this diversity. Our culture is now contribute if our cultural development is to a multitude of cultures emerging from different reach its full potential. The policy therefore customs and beliefs, different social and seeks to create conditions whereby all of us can economic backgrounds. These differences are as participate in, and employ our skills and talents important for the continued negotiation and for, the cultural, social and economic benefit of development of a multicultural Australian the community. It stresses the need for active identity, as are the commonalities in our governmental and institutional intervention to community. ensure that the contributions of newly arrived migrants and longer standing Australians of In producing a policy on Arts for a non-English speaking background are valued Multicultural Australia, the Council recognises and encouraged appropriately. the distinctive relationship of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to the question of Multiculturalism also recognises that Australia is Australian identity. The policy seeks to ensure located geographically in the Asia-Pacific region that the indigenous people of Australia are and that its cultural, economic and historical closely involved in the national debate on our relations with the region are significant. In light cultural diversity. of our efforts to negotiate an Australian identity in the region, the policy emphasises the need to The Council acknowledges the right and the draw on local diversity in forging regional ties. means of all artists and communities to take part in shaping Australian culture. Its Access Multiculturalism and Equity Plan is based on the operating and Public Policy principles of the rights of artists and communities, social justice, peer assessment and The Commonwealth Government's National equality of opportunity. It seeks to identify Agenda for a Multicultural Australia rests on inequities and barriers to effective participation three footings: cultural identity and heritage, in the artistic and cultural life of Australia and social justice (access and equity) and economic to promote strategies to overcome them. efficiency.

Multiculturalism Building a true sense of our cultural identity and Cultural Diversity means recognising and drawing on the diverse and significant contribution of Australians of Cultural diversity is a demographic and social non-English speaking background - a reality in Australia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait contribution that arises from their cultural Islander people, the original owners of the land, traditions and the contemporary development constitute some 1-2 per cent of the Australian of their artistic and cultural life. population. Immigration over the last forty years accounts for more than half of Australia's We affirm social justice principles in access and population growth. Of the total population, equity programs and policies. Access refers to 22.5 per cent are either of first generation non- the need to ensure that all Australians have the English speaking background or have at least opportunity to obtain information and services one parent born in a non-English speaking that are appropriate to their needs. Equity refers country. Approximately 14 per cent of the to the allocation of public resources in such a

Making Multicultural Australia Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia 2 way that it is fair, without discrimination, and • develop policies and programs which support responsive in that any undesirable imbalance the work of individual artists and can be identified and redressed. communities;

At the economic level it is vitally important to • identify the specific needs of artists and develop and utilise the skills and talents of all groups of non-English speaking background Australians. Marginalisation of people or the and identify barriers which prevent full denial of their skills and talents can lead, and in participation in the arts; the past has led, to a waste of human resources, economic inefficiency, and loss to the • support and promote dialogue between the community as a whole. Indigenous peoples of Australia and non- English as well as English speaking peoples. Multiculturalism and the Arts A policy for multiculturalism and the arts rejects Multicultural policy in the arts needs to narrow definitions of excellence, culture and encompass these three broad principles of the artistic practice. Instead it highlights the National Agenda. The policy must address the importance of viewing these terms in their diversity of Australian society and, in particular, appropriate cultural contexts. recognise the specific experiences of people of non-English speaking background. It is The policy should, therefore, provide a broad necessary, therefore, for the government, its framework which encompasses the many agencies and the community to: activities and practices of artists and communities of non-English speaking • acknowledge that the arts play a crucial role background, together with strategies which can in shaping the social, economic and cultural respond to their needs. A policy for environment; multiculturalism and the arts does not just highlight heterogeneity; it also acknowledges • acknowledge that notions of artistic excellence that society and culture are dynamic and and merit encompass a broad range of changing rather than static and fixed. creative activity and cultural traditions; The Australia Council’s Policy • create an environment in which all on Arts for a Multicultural Australians can contribute freely; Australia

• promote, through flexible institutional The policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia structures and broad administrative objectives was introduced within the Australia Council in and practices, definitions which are culturally 1989. It was recognised that policies are never inclusive; final and need to be reviewed and developed from time to time. The latest review was made • reflect the diversity of Australia's culture in 1992. This statement represents the policy for through broad, flexible and representative the next triennium. administrative structures and procedures and comprehensive cultural definitions. The policy is applicable across all Boards and Units of the Council, whose Corporate Plan And specifically in relation to people of non- includes a commitment to the policy. It is thus English speaking background to: integrated into all arts support programs, the administration, the provision of advice and • develop arts and cultural policies and information on Council programs, and funding programs that reflect the multicultural nature allocations. of Australian society;

Making Multicultural Australia Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia 3 The policy is developed at a number of levels: Key concepts and practices within Council and its multicultural advisory Committee, and within the art form Boards and The policy is a culturally inclusive one. It Units. This work proceeds with the assistance requires that the key terms that relate to aspects and advice of the Council's Program Manager, of excellence, professionalism, innovation and Multicultural. Each Board and Unit develops its traditional contemporary arts practice properly own objectives, strategies and programs within reflect the complexity of Australia's the framework of Council's general policy multicultural society. It is recognised that these guidelines. terms are constantly debated and that this in itself is vital for a thriving artistic community. Aims The arts in Australia are products of emerging The Council's policy on Arts for a Multicultural and contrasting cultural contexts. The Australia Australia aims to: Council acknowledges that the criteria of evaluation and assessment need to be clearly • support and develop the artistic activities of articulated to incorporate such diversity. persons and communities of non-English Multiculturalism is a dynamic discourse and the speaking background; application of key terms such as excellence and innovation is changing as a result. The Council • encourage exploration of all aspects of also recognises that such terms often have quite Australian life through a diversity of cultural different or specific meanings and applications perspectives; depending on the cultural context from which they emerge. • ensure the maximum contribution of our cultural diversity to the development of a One of the fundamental principles of the multicultural Australian identity; Council's operations is "peer assessment". This has been in place since the Council's inception • encourage and assist major arts and cultural to ensure that evaluations of artists and their organisations to reflect the cultural diversity work are made by fellow artists and specialists of Australia in both their management and with appropriate knowledge and experience. In their programming and to increase the addressing the key concepts and criteria of participation of artists and communities of assessment and evaluation (such as excellence, non-English speaking background; professionalism and innovation) the Council recognises the need to appoint appropriate peers • sponsor and promote discussion and critical who can assist it in evaluating the work of artists debate on issues of multiculturalism and the of non-English speaking background. It is arts; crucial that the criteria of assessment and evaluation reflect the policy priorities of the • identify and remove the barriers to equal Council including Arts for a Multicultural participation of artists of non-English Australia. speaking background; Strategies • help to establish and develop cultural organisations, networks and other resources The Australia Council has developed a number which are owned or controlled by specific of strategies to implement its policy on Arts for cultural communities; a Multicultural Australia. The strategies relate to participation, assessment of applications and • support artistic activities which promote funding, policy development and opportunities for cross-cultural understanding implementation, research, staffing, training, and interaction.

Making Multicultural Australia Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia 4 information, and monitoring and evaluation. 2.2 Information These matters are dealt with in the following sections. Lack of information has been identified as a significant barrier for artists of non-English 1. Appointments to speaking background. The Council aims to Decision-Making Bodies ensure that information on its policies and programs is made widely available to individual It is Council policy to involve artists and artists, groups, organisations and ethnic communities of non-English speaking communities. The information strategy requires: background in its decision-making processes. To that end appropriate people are appointed to • that sustained information campaigns be Council itself and to all Boards and produced to develop a more positive and Committees. The criteria for selection are that informed relationship between the Council, the appointee be: artists and communities;

• an arts practitioner or involved in and • that all Council publications clearly reflect familiar with the arts in Australia; the integration of policies and priorities with assessment criteria; • familiar with and committed to non-English speaking communities and multiculturalism • that all applications for support indicate how in general; the applicants intend to work towards the policy priorities of the Council; • articulate, with demonstrated abilities to advocate the principles and practices of • that advertisements and materials are made multiculturalism. available to the ethnic media and other organisations, translated into a number of The Council seeks to ensure that an appropriate languages; balance of first and second generation background artists is achieved in these • that the Program Manager, Multicultural, and appointments. Given the Council's focus on the the staff of the art form Units organise Asia-Pacific region an attempt also is made to meetings throughout Australia with the arts appoint Australians of Asian and Pacific communities. backgrounds. 2.3 Financial suppor t 2. Applications Funding is provided to a variety of artists, 2.1 Peer Assessment groups and organisations. Contracts setting out the obligations of both parties should clearly In view of the Council's commitment to the acknowledge the policy priorities of the principle of peer review, applications by artists Australia Council, including those relating to of non-English speaking background are judged Arts for a Multicultural Australia. The contract by appropriate art form and cultural peers. should also include a statement by the funded party as to how they will work towards the This means that external referees who are achievement of these policy priorities. specialists within their own culture or language group are appointed to assist in assessing 3. Policy Development and particular projects. They may be drawn from Implementation within Australia or, where that is not possible, from overseas. The policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia

Making Multicultural Australia Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia 5 is dealt with structurally in the Australia 3.3 Implementation Council in a number of ways. These include: Committee

3.1 Multicultural Advisory The Council established an Implementation Committee Committee to ensure that there are effective lines of communication between all parties The Council has established a Multicultural involved in administration of the policy. The Advisory Committee (ACMAC) to advise it on Implementation Committee consists of the all matters relating to development, Chair of the Advisory Committee, all Council coordination and implementation of the policy. Executive Officers and Directors and the The Committee Chair is a member of Council Program Manager, Multicultural. who is of a non-English speaking background. It is intended that all appointees to Council, 4. Staff Appointments Boards and Committees who have this and Training background be members of the Committee. The Committee meets at least twice a year. It In order to implement the policy more facilitates communication between effectively, the Council aims to employ staff at representatives in relation to multicultural all levels whose backgrounds and training reflect policy and implementation. As well, it provides the organisation's commitment to an opportunity for representatives in Council to multiculturalism. meet and exchange information about issues. 4.1 Staff appointments The Committee initiates and monitors liaison with ethnic community and arts organisations at The Australia Council's Access & Equity and State and Federal level. It makes Equal Opportunity policies conform to Public recommendations to Council on the promotion Service requirements. The policies have the of positive initiatives both inside and outside the further purpose of helping to ensure that the Council, and promotes better awareness of Council's objectives of involvement in the arts issues arising from the multicultural policy. by all Australians and a culturally diverse national identity have adequate staff input 3.2 Program Manager, toward their achievement. Another aim is to Multicultural make sure that Equal Opportunity and Access & Equity strategies form an integral part of The Program Manager, Multicultural, reports to management practice within the Council and Council and the Committee and assists all that the staffing profile reflects Australia's sections of the Council in the development of culturally and ethnically diverse population as policy and art form strategies and programs. far as possible. The Program Manager monitors and evaluates progress and implementation of the policy As well, the Council has decided that across the Council, and assists in developing demonstration of commitment to the information programs and publications. The multicultural policy is to be included in the Program Manager also undertakes an extensive performance appraisal of all senior staff. program of field advocacy networking and liaison with peak ethnic communities and 4.2 Training national and local arts groups. The aim is to create strategic alliances and assist the Council Training is provided to inform all staff of the to maintain close, productive relations with the Multicultural, Equal Opportunity and Access & field. Equity policies. Regular programs are also undertaken to enhance staff sensitivity to and

Making Multicultural Australia Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia 6 understanding of cross-cultural issues. countries such as Canada and Britain.

Training courses are provided for staff to assist The council also financially supports them in the use of the telephone interpreter publications, public conferences, workshops and service and in working with translators and critical writings which promote debate on the interpreters as intermediaries. Staff assistance arts and multiculturalism. may be required by artists who speak little or no English or who lack confidence in the use of 7. Monitoring and Evaluation English. In order to bring about successful The Council recognises that ongoing training is implementation of the policy, the Council has required because of staff turnover as well as the established monitoring procedures which allow changing needs of staff. it to evaluate progress annually, ascertain whether programs have the desired outcome, 5. Australia Council's Relations and determine which areas warrant further with other Organisations development. The monitoring and evaluation are both quantitative and qualitative in kind In its promotion of artistic activity in Australia, the Council cooperates with a wide range of 7.1 Targets organisations including the Office of Multicultural Affairs, state arts funding Financial targets remain an important authorities and Ethnic Affairs Commissions, the mechanism for assessing policies and their Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of implementation. They are widely used in Australia and its state-based counterparts, the government departments and are particularly National Arts for a Multicultural Australia useful in determining progress on dimensions of Network, and the education system. access and equity.Targets assist in identifying both the extent to which cultural production The Australia Council provides funds and reflects community diversity and the particular support to a number of multicultural arts barriers to participation that may need officers. These people are located within investigation. In the Australia Council, targets appropriate organisations to undertake arts are determined by each Board and Unit in advocacy in the field and to assist in cultural collaboration with Council. They are reviewed development in local communities. They also annually. assist artists and groups with their applications or approaches to the Council and they 7.2 Classification criteria disseminate information about the Council and its programs. A set of criteria has been developed against which projects and programs can be identified 6. Research and Publications as "multicultural". Such criteria allow accurate comparison from year to year of all programs The Council funds, co-funds and encourages and of expenditure allocations. research into the activities and needs of artists and groups of non-English speaking The criteria drawn up for the classification of background. Council affirms the need to collect applications are: and analyse basic data in order more effectively to develop appropriate policies and strategies. • projects of first generation artists - Australian Recent projects include a review of the needs of artists born in a non-English speaking artists and communities, an appraisal of country and whose first language is not assessment procedures within the Australia English; Council, and a comparative study of policies in

Making Multicultural Australia Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia 7 • projects of second generation artists - the previous year and give a summary of Australian artists born in Australia of expenditure. overseas-born parents from a non-English speaking background; The annual report also provides an evaluation of programs against objectives. • projects that involve a majority of immigrant artists of non-English speaking background or The Future second generation artists; The Australia Council sees the next three years • ethno-specific arts projects of an ethno- as a challenging and exciting period in the specific group; development of its policies and programs on Arts for a Multicultural Australia. The Council • projects conducted by a multicultural arts will continue to promote and support the work organisation; of artists and groups of non-English speaking background. In doing so, it will seek to • arts projects from non-arts ethnic or consolidate and extend its links with the various multicultural organisations whose primary communities and organisations which objective is specific work on the multicultural contribute such vital skills, talent and creative nature of Australian society; energy to Australia's cultural development.

• arts projects and programs or parts thereof There is a continuing need to encourage arts whose main objective is to promote cross- organisations in general (among them those that cultural awareness; are supported by the Council as well as others) to develop their own policies and programs in • projects or programs targeted at ethno- ways that will lead to expanded employment specific communities in general; and support of artists of non-English speaking background. The Council's policy stresses the • specific multicultural projects whose content need to involve local communities so that their relates to the multicultural nature of Australia knowledge and expertise are fully utilised in and where the art production involves a international cultural exchanges and in majority of artists or groups of non-English promoting awareness overseas of Australian speaking background; cultures.

• arts projects that explore and enhance cultural As part of the continuing development of art links between Australia and other countries or form policies, the Council and its Boards are regions, in particular the Asia-Pacific region. also seeking to distinguish more clearly between practice and needs of first and second 7.3 Evaluation of objectives generation artists. At the heart of all the and strategies Council’s support programs is a continuing refinement of the way in which the key terms of Each Council Board and Unit develops evaluation and assessment are employed, to objectives and strategies, along with ensure that they are culturally inclusive and performance indicators, for their art form area. responsive. These are either incorporated into their existing programs or developed independently to address As we approach the year 2001, the policy on specific needs or concerns. Arts for a Multicultural Australia seeks to renegotiate the symbols and representations of At the end of each year the Boards and Units, Australian nationhood. A new dialogue among together with the Program Manager, Australia's indigenous people and people of Multicultural, report to Council on progress in non-English and English speaking backgrounds

Making Multicultural Australia Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia 8 is critical to this process of nation-making.

Australia's cultural relations with the Asia- Pacific region will be a particular issue during the next triennium of the policy. It is vital that we utilise the talents and knowledge of our Asian and Pacific groups to help forge a new understanding of Australia's location in this region.

The Australia Council believes that promoting Arts for a Multicultural Australia is and should continue to be an integral part of all its activities. By ensuring this, the Council can adapt and respond to Australia's constantly changing and dynamic culture.

Provided by the Australia Council, the Federal Government’s arts funding and advisory body.

Making Multicultural Australia Policy on Arts for a Multicultural Australia 9