Arts Advocacy Workshops

In September 2021, Arts West hosted a series of three free online advocacy workshops designed to support artists and arts organisations understand how best to advocate for your practice, for Melbourne’s west, and for arts and culture more broadly. Together we unpacked what advocacy is and created an Arts West advocacy plan.

The Arts West Advocacy Workshop Series was presented by Esther Anatolitis, one of Australia’s leading advocates for the arts. With a background in the media, architecture, and organisational leadership across all artforms, she has presented advocacy workshops for artists, leaders, organisations, boards, and industry groups. For well over a decade, Esther’s work in facilitating cross-industry advocacy has contributed to significant policy and funding outcomes at all levels of government.  

Videos of the arts advocacy workshops can be found on our website at artswest.com.au/advocacy-workshops.

Welcome to Jody Haines & Matto Lucas

Arts West is pleased to invite independent artists Jody Haines and Matto Lucas join the Arts West committee to represent independent artists in our advocacy for arts in the west in 2021.

Jody Haines is a photo-media artist based in Melbourne, Victoria. By approaching photography as a social practice, Jody collaboratively focuses on identity, representation and the female gaze, presenting work as temporary installations across public and non-traditional spaces. Jody joins the Arts West committee because she feels it's essential that artists voices and perspectives are present to feed back into our arts community and advocate for artists. Jody will be advocating for First Peoples, first, always! through consultation, engagement and embodiment of Indigenous voice and sovereignty; along with supporting increases to artist fees and more transparency in the costs and resources provided to artists to create and present work; continued advocacy for gender equality and a more inclusive representation of all who sit outside of the eurocentric-hetero-normative-cis-gendered circle; along with advocacy for an increase in affordable studio spaces in the west, and increased presentation possibilities for artists.

Matto Lucas is an Australian artist, photographer, creator, curator and art facilitator working within mixed and digital media, with a preference for photography and performance. He is joins the Arts West committee to continue strengthening the artistic community within the West and promoting, advocating and supporting, specifically, LGBTQI2+ artists and creatives. Matto seeks to generate more opportunities for LGBTQI2+ artists, POC and experimental works within the region; seek more exposure and promotion of creative spaces, industries, practitioners and communities within the west; and strengthen connectivity between bodies, spaces and institutions with community.

Jody and Matto join existing committee members, representatives from 100 Story Building, cohealth Arts Generator, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Snuff Puppets, The SUBSTATION, Western Edge Youth Arts, and Women’s Circus.

Join the arts west committee

The Arts West Alliance Committee is currently made up of representatives from seven arts organisations in Melbourne’s west. We are now looking for two independent artists from the Arts West Advocates pool (previously known as Arts West Creative Members) to join the Committee in 2021 to represent independent artists in the west, and take part in strategic conversations and advocacy regarding the arts in the west. 

The independent artists joining the committee should be willing to commit approximately 30 hours across the year comprising of:

• Quarterly Committee meetings of 1.5 hrs each

• Occasional additional meetings related to key advocacy platforms

• Occasional emails regarding advocacy decisions and fund management

These positions are appointed annually, with the option to renew for a second year.

We strongly encourage nominations from artists from Indigenous, migrant and refugee, disability and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Nominations closed on December 13 2020.

If you have any questions, please contact artswest@footscrayarts.com.

A New Model for the Arts West Alliance

Recent funding outcomes have prompted a review of the structure of the Arts West Alliance and refining the collective’s mission to better respond to the needs of the sector in the West.

An Industry Development Coordinator will soon be appointed by Footscray Community Arts Centre and the Alliance to support the coordination of work across the collective. As the largest core organisation within the Alliance, FCAC will utilise its core staff and resource capacity to support the essential work of the Alliance.

The core mission of Arts West will shift to focus on advocacy. This includes platforming the concerns and issues affecting arts in the western suburbs of Melbourne across local, state and federal government. This is particularly important now in the context of COVID-19, uncertainty in the national economy, reduction in arts funding and new development in the West. These factors have significant impacts on our communities’ most vulnerable. Arts West remains committed to supporting creativity in the West – recognising the power of advocacy in enabling sector-wide change and long-term benefits for our communities.

Creative Membership
In light of these changes in the Arts West structure and mission, Creative Members will now be known as Arts West Advocates. Being an Advocate is free of charge. Participation includes:

• Invitation to attend an annual Consultation Session, where Advocates can connect and contribute to the advocacy agenda of the Alliance.

• Consultation as major unexpected issues arise affecting the creative sector.

• Receiving regular updates and online resources.

• Invitation to apply for two positions on the Alliance Committee – the committee that actively delivers the Arts West advocacy agenda. These positions are appointed annually, with the option to renew for a second year.

Existing Creative Members will transition to become Arts West Advocates.

Farewell Angela Pamic
Angela Pamic will be concluding her role as Arts West Project Manager. Angela's vibrancy, energy and care for creativity in the West has been core to the success of Arts West. The Alliance sincerely thanks Angela for all her work.

You can contract Arts West any time by emailing artswest@footscrayarts.com.