Deborah Mills & Associates has been selected as the preferred tenderer for the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy (VACS) Evaluation Report Stage 2.

This evaluation has been commissioned by the Australia Council’s Visual Arts Board to provide the VAB with evidence of the extent to which the VACS program has achieved the Cultural Ministers Council (CMC) agreed aims and to provide the Board with recommendations regarding identified future priority areas for the sector. The evaluation is not intended to be a review of the sector.  The Evaluation steering committee will include the Australia Council’s Chair of the Visual Arts Board and the Director of Research and Strategic Analysis.

Deborah Mills and Associates will consult with VACS key organisations, Australia Council Visual Arts Board members, State and Territory Arts ministerial advisors, State and Territory Arts directors, and 40 other visual arts sector key organisations and individuals – a total of 115 organisations and individuals is appropriate.  Artists will be consulted in the list of 115. The consultant will be required to provide statistical evidence (qualitative and quantitative) on items such as: artist, craft and design practitioners income and support such as earned income, new work creation and presentation, professional development.

The Australia Councils Visual Arts Board is the principal administrator of the Council’s Visual Arts funding role and is the Council’s main source of advice on the development of arts policy and grants programs including VACS.  As the VACS2 program is subject to an annual funding agreement between the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts and the Australia Council and as it requires the support of state and territory funding agencies, this evaluation and the data gathered on the impact and achievements of the VACS will be valuable to all parties.

Deborah is working with Jonah Jones and Lisa Marquette. The team selected for this assignment brings a combined experience of over 70 years in the Australian arts and cultural development field. Their experience is both wide and deep. Individually they are widely recognised for their experience and acumen in analysis, their understanding of and insights into the Australian arts and cultural sectors and their familiarity with many of the key stakeholders in the visual arts, craft and design sectors.