 |
MY EXPERIENCE
at the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland Cultural Diversity in the Arts |
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MY EXPERIENCE
at the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland Cultural Diversity in the Arts |
| Multicultural Arts Officer
The Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland had a demonstrated commitment to the development of accessible and equitable arts and cultural policies and programs in Queensland until 2001. For this reason, the ECCQ employed a Multicultural Arts Officer who provided assistance and advice to arts practitioners from diverse cultural backgrounds and to ethnic communities to continue, develop and maintain their arts practice. The Multicultural Arts Officer filled an advocacy and lobbying role aimed at lifting the profile of culturally diverse arts practice in the broader community and through the funding bodies. The Multicultural Arts Officer provided a link between arts practitioners, communities and funding bodies as well as access to resources by information sharing. Arts for a Multicultural SocietyAustralia is a multicultural society, and arts at all levels of practice should reflect this fact. Since 1973, there have been varying degrees of recognition by the Australian Government through public policy, that cultural expression should be available and accessible to all Australians. It is recognised that this cultural expression will take, and needs to take, a wide range of forms and meanings that extend beyond traditional AngloCeltic definitions of arts practice. For this reason, programs like Arts For A Multicultural Australia were previously funded by the Australia Council, the Federal Government's funding body for the arts, which has in recent years cut funding for most Multicultural Arts Officers in Australia. The current Liberal government does not encourage arts in diverse cultures. Read the Protest Weakly for an opinion of the state of the arts in Australia.Types of ProjectsThe types of partnerships that can be made through the arts can be useful in fostering a greater awareness of cultural diversity, while also affirming a communities' sense of identity and the artists faith and confidence in their artform. The Multicultural Arts Officer's position initiated projects through the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland designed to provide information and support to arts practitioners from culturally diverse backgrounds. These have included exhibitions, training and workshop programs, forums, promotions, public programs and joint community projects. More importantly, many communities and artists have initiated their own arts activities after having obtained access to resources through the Multicultural Arts Officer.AimsThe aims of the ECCQs Multicultural Arts Programs were:To promote, foster and encourage a greater awareness of cultural diversity in arts and culture. To encourage and facilitate the development of community cultural activities that reflect the diversity of Australian society through the arts. To enable increased access to arts and cultural resources and activities by groups and communities from culturally diverse backgrounds. To network with arts-related agencies, community organisations and arts practitioners to support culturally diverse communities |
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ex-Multicultural Arts Officer
Kez van Oudheusden Now working as a freelance Grants
consultant and bookbinder.
Email: Kez |
State Library of Queensland Copyright Agency Ltd Arts Info Are you too Bureaucratic? Take the test! Fine African Art
More translation services can be reached from this REFERENCE page |
| 2001
Centenary of Federation Production of "Lives and Loves"
Arts Projects and projects by Kez Back to The Online Hideout Contents |
