We need assessors who understand all parts of the creative process – from people who make work and co-ordinate tours and exhibitions, to arts workers who develop new markets and engage with audiences and communities.
First Nations representation plus assessors who live in regional and remote areas are greatly needed on all our panels – so please pass on to anyone you think would be interested.
Send us an email at assessment@creative.gov.au to register your interest in becoming a Creative Australia assessor today or call one of the Assessment team to have a yarn 1800 226 912.
What does it mean to be an assessor?
- Commitment to First Nations arts and culture: we cherish and recognise the importance of First Nations arts and culture in all that we do.
- You value the Arts: we need assessors who understand all parts of the creative process – from people who make work and co-ordinate tours and exhibitions, to arts workers who develop new markets and engage with audiences and communities.
- Make connections: you will connect with people all over the country and broaden your networks.
- Learn how grants are assessed: assessing grants makes you a stronger application writer and gives you an appreciation of the breadth of work happening across Australia.
- Make a difference: everyone’s unique background and voice makes a difference. It ensures decisions reflect contemporary Australia.
“The only hurdle was this mental block about the accessibility of Creative Australia – I had a built up idea of the org being elitist or unreachable. Actually being part of the process changed that idea a lot and that’s something I will be encouraging other people I think should be peers about, that their knowledge will be valuable to the process and that it’s not unreachable.”
George Foulkes-Taylor, Multi-arts peer, WA
Information, discussion and Q&A sessions
Panellists
Emma Bennison – facilitator
Emma is the past CEO of Arts Access Australia and Accessible Arts. Emma is an artist and passionate advocate for the arts.
Sofya Gollan – panellist
Multi-disciplinary artist, writer & director, Sofya Gollan, is an award-winning filmmaker and a graduate from both NIDA and AFTRS. As an actor she has worked with the Sydney Theatre Company, the National Theatre of the Deaf USA, but is best loved for being on Play School for over 30 years.
Georgia Mokak – Creative Australia panellist
Georgia is a proud Djugun woman from Rubibi (Broome), raised as a visitor on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, and has continued to grow as a guest on Larrakia, Wangal and Gadigal Country.
Her practice in producing, advocacy, policy and education is rooted in First Nations futurisms, cultural safety, and intergenerational/intercultural collectivity.
Georgia is a past peer assessor and now works for Creative Australia as Manager First Nations Development Programs, Industry Development.
Christopher Bryant – Creative Australia panellist
Christopher is an Artists Services Officer and works with artists from the application stage through to acquittal. He has a particular focus on theatre and disability arts.
Picture this. You apply to be a peer assessor, and your application is accepted. Then you are invited to assess your first funding round. Perhaps you have mixed emotions. You feel honoured to be able to elevate artists doing groundbreaking work; you are anxious to make the best decisions possible; depending on how confident you’re feeling, maybe you question whether you have enough experience or credibility to be at the table.
Now, imagine you are a First Nations artist, an artist with disability, an artist from the LGBTQI+ community, an artist from a culturally or linguistically diverse background. You might even identify with several of these experiences. Not only are you likely to be experiencing all of the uncertainties associated with being a peer for the first time, perhaps these feelings are magnified because you’ve experienced your share of discrimination and microaggressions. On top of that, you know that you will likely be the only person in the room representing your lived experience, so you’re feeling the pressure mounting. Then it dawns on you that you need to share your access requirements with Creative Australia so you can participate fully in the assessment process.
If all that sounds like a lot to contend with, it certainly can be. But fortunately, Creative Australia actively works to diversify its peer assessment panels and is committed to creating a safe and supportive process which encourages peers to explore with Creative Australia what support they need to bring their whole selves to the assessment process, even if they’re unsure what assistance they require. Creative Australia recently produced a webinar on accessible peer assessment, where peers explained how they navigated the assessment process and how their access requirements were met. Creative Australia staff also shared observations about how diversity on assessment panels enhances the process across the board.
While no organisation is perfect when it comes to accessibility, the webinar highlights Creative Australia’s progress to date and its commitment to continuous improvement. So if you’re considering applying to become a peer, or if you’ve assessed before but need guidance about how to ask for what you need, this webinar could be for you. Our hope is that hearing directly from your peers and from Creative Australia staff about how to navigate the process reassures you that the support you need is available and that your perspectives are valued and sought after.
Emma Bennison, past CEO of Arts Access Australia and Accessible Arts
- Panellists: Nardi Simpson, Lucy Mendelssohn, Wenona Byrne and Patricia Adjei.
This webinar was held on Tuesday 24 August 2021 at 12:00pm.
The Protocols are best practice guidelines that guide you through 10 principles of how you should respect and interact with First Nations communities and artists. The 10 principles are centred on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The most important principles in the Protocols talk to consultation and consent. Even before the thought of an idea of a project, if you want to engage and collaborate with First Nations artists or communities, it’s important to build up a relationship with that community first.
Refer to the check list for assessors here.
And The First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property Protocols document here.
