AUS4004

Arts and cultural policy

David Dunstan, Annette van den Bosch and Nick Walker

8 points -One 2-hour seminar per week -Second semester -Clayton

Objectives This subject is relevant to art administration, cultural heritage administration, publishing and media analysis. It includes specialised policy debates in relation to arts funding and taxation, the arts, humanities and education, heritage legislation, copyright and intellectual property. Federal policy, and current debates on policy and funding especially in relation to trade agreements, international policy agreements and the globalisation of the cultural industries are also introduced. Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to acknowledge and administer the regulatory, legislative, and policy provisions which are relevant to the arts, cultural heritage and tourism, publishing and media; understand new developments and issues in arts and cultural policy, copyright and intellectual property law, mechanical and performing rights, moral rights, contract law and employment practices, sponsorship and licensing; research and analyse specific aspects of arts and cultural policy in relation to their economic, political, technological and historic context.

Synopsis This subject includes strands in art, cultural heritage, cultural tourism, media and publishing which are essential policy studies in a number of the postgraduate programs offered by the National Centre for Australian Studies. Art and policy studies include the interrelationships in policy and funding between federal, state, city and institutional funding and policy, especially policy documents and statements. It examines the impact on art practice, artists' careers and education, and heritage, of policy and legislation at both the national and international level. Arts and cultural heritage policy examine the impact of government, corporate and private sponsorship and philanthropy, especially through key agencies such as the Australia Foundation, Heritage Foundation and National Trust and the role of Federal taxation provisions. Copyright and cultural industries analysis and regulation is examined in relation to intellectual property, moral rights, media regulation and national content regulations. The publishing industries and issues in relation to the internet, and new information technologies forms another key strand. National and international perspectives on indigenous and multicultural policy are relevant to all strands. The focus of the subject is the artist, the architect, the curator, the filmmaker, the television program producer, the writer and internet author.

Assessment Research essay (3000 words): 50% -Tutorial paper/short essay (1500 words): 25% -Class presentation (1500 words): 25%

Preliminary reading

Beale A and Van den Bosch A (eds) Ghosts in the machine: Women and cultural policy in Canada and Australia Garamond, 1998
Cunningham S Framing culture: criticism and policy in Australia Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 1992
Golvan C and McDonald M Writers and the law Law Book, 1996

Back to the 1999 Arts Handbook