Clare Holland

I love this article as it is an exciting example of how we can use creative approaches in a changing world

7

1 Comment

Thanks to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Religion and Ethics for publishing Luara Ferracioli and my (as it turns out) timely opinion piece on the role of ECEC in children's flourishing: today, PM Albanese is about to make universal access to early childhood education an election issue. According to reports this morning, later today Albanese is likely to promise to abolish the "activity test", that excludes the most disadvantaged kids from childcare, and move Australian families closer to universal access by guaranteeing subsidy for three days a week. Looking forward to seeing more on this. In our piece, Luara and I dive into the doubts and challenges facing parents accessing ECEC, and explain the concepts in our White Paper, discussing both the developmental and intrinsic goods of childhood. Take a look!

10

2 Comments

As National Reconciliation Week approaches, we all have a role to play in achieving national unity. This year's theme, "Now More Than Ever", asks us to use our influence reminds us of the power of our voices in working towards Reconciliation and encourages us to be active in our role in reconciliation. It starts with each of us. Find out more about events happening near you here: https://lnkd.in/geQG78Wj #NRW #NationalReconciliationWeek #NRW2024 #NowMoreThanEver Reconciliation Australia Life Without Barriers

9

I shouldn’t be surprised by the connection but I always am. It is the relationship between popular television and demographic trends. Producers are adept at spotting and monetising ascendant social forces.  A US series about baby-boomer couples called Thirtysomething (1987-1991) was always going to be popular in the late 1980s. This show was, I think, bettered by the subsequent Gen-X version of the same concept, Friends (1994-2004) which glamorised big-city living.  Australian suburban life was projected across the world with Neighbours (1985+) and an earlier iteration, The Sullivans (1976-1983). Yet another view of Australian suburbia was offered by My Name’s McGooley (1966-1968) which was set in Sydney’s Balmain before gentrification. Seachange in the late 1990s hit the zeitgeist with baby boomers who, at 40-something, were wistfully thinking about reinventing themselves ‘up the coast.’ The late 1990s also delivered The Castle (1997) a story of a happy family living in Melbourne’s Coolaroo (near the airport). Main character Darryl Kerigan was good humoured if a tad naïve but importantly he loved his family and his family loved him. Here was a version of suburban life that was achingly traditionalist in the values it portrayed. And yet this movie is still loved and daily referenced 27 years later. Oddly, unlike many other comedic platforms The Castle has not been subjected to critique based on revised values; it’s still funny!  Australians are by and large happy to laugh about their suburban lifestyles via the likes of Dame Edna, The Castle and Kath & Kim.  But why haven’t we also evolved TV shows, movies, caricatures offering ‘powerful insight’ into inner city living?  Indeed, where are the popular culture incarnations of Dame Edna, Kath Day-Knight and Darryl Kerigan ‘living their best lives’ in the burgeoning demographic of inner city Australia?  Surely this is an opportunity for savvy producers to deliver insight into the way Australians live today. See my column in The Weekend Australian Magazine $5 p/w https://lnkd.in/gVd9Qz4h

136

23 Comments

Can an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) director whose conduct "would not have met the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)'s editorial standards" remain a director of the company? The standards that apply to directors are not those that apply to employees given that directors are ultimately responsible for governance and direction, amongst other things. While the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)'s managers might determine that Laura Tingle retains their confidence, different standards apply at board level and it is for chairman Kim Campbell and his other directors to determine if Tingle should remain a director. Meanwhile the issue of the non-disclosure of Tingle's remuneration, now that she is a director, remains unaddressed. https://lnkd.in/gBhnMfac https://lnkd.in/gCDNWGGJ

4

1 Comment

Tomorrow, October 17th, is National Give Out Day, hosted by GiveOUT Australia who's mission is growing the pot of gold under the rainbow, and supporting LGBTQIA+ organisations to access and use those resources for the better. On THIS DAY our fundraising efforts are DOUBLED. So you give one $1, and they match $1. Now that's a pretty amazing initiative! *Why support LGBTQIA+ organisations?* 🌈 LGBTIQ+ people have the highest rates of suicidality compared with any other population in Australia ƒ 🌈 Over three quarters of LGBTIQ+ people living in rural and regional areas do not have access to LGBTIQ+ inclusive mental health services ƒ 🌈 Less than half of LGBTIQ+ students feel safe at school *How do LGBTQIA+ organisations fair when fundraising or applying for grants?* ❗ LGBTIQ+ communities are amongst the least funded cohorts in Australia: receiving just 5 cents out of every $100 received by Australian charities ❗ 11% of Australian's are LGBTQIA+*, yet of the $80B in grants given to community groups each year, 0.37% of Local Government grants, 0.10% of State Government and 0.07% of Federal Government grants went to LGBTQIA+ causes ❗ Only 0.2% of all registered charities in Australia have LGBTIQ+ communities as their primary beneficiary, and only another 2.8% include LGBTIQ+ communities as a group that they serve Give a little....Give a lot....Share, and help us grow our lil pot of gold under the rainbow 🌈 👉 Please visit https://lnkd.in/giuq8tBV to donate. Your support means everything to us and plays a huge role in shaping our future 🫶 #Feast Festival #GiveOUTday

15

From today, Sydney's night-time economy, live music scene, and community vibrancy are set to thrive under new noise complaint regulations. This suite of measures is designed to protect venues from serial complainants while ensuring residents can enjoy a good night’s sleep through soundproofing grants. Key reforms include: • Order of Occupancy: Disturbance complaints will now consider whether the licensed venue or complainant occupied their premises first, favoring the party established first. This prevents new residents from restricting established venues. • Simplified Noise Complaint Process: Liquor & Gaming NSW will become the lead regulator for noise complaints, streamlining the process previously managed by seven agencies. • Complainants: The number of people required for a statutory disturbance complaint will increase from three to five, and they must prove attempts to resolve issues with the licensee first. • Take-away Alcohol for Small Bars: Permanent allowances for limited take-away sales from small bars, introduced during COVID-19. • Extended Trading for Live Music Venues: New applications for hotels scheduling live music or arts and cultural events. • Streamlined Consultation: Easier and quicker consultation processes for liquor license applications and community feedback. Business Western Sydney has been a vocal advocate for supporting the nighttime economy. Our paper “The Show Must Go On” made the case for reforms to support live performance and arts and culture across Sydney. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/gwURP6KY While these reforms are a significant step forward, we must see more Western Sydney venues benefiting. Currently, there are no recipients from Western Sydney for the live music and soundproofing grants. This highlights a real issue: the absence of live music venues in our region. This is good reform, but there's more work to be done to ensure Western Sydney can fully participate in and benefit from a thriving night-time economy. 🎸🥁🎷 John Graham Michael Rodrigues Sean Macken Business NSW Daniel Hunter David Harding Anna Burns

64

1 Comment

Some thoughts on the social media age limit as it relates to educational screen content. On the one hand, I'm happy YouTube is exempt from this ban. It remains one of the few places where Australian-made children's content can reach kids where they are. While no social media platform is perfect, the 'Youtube for Kids' function also creates a space where extra measures are taken to ensure the space is safe for young viewers. Australian Government quotas for Australian-made kids TV were taken away meaning that overall commercial networks have slashed their kids content. This including my beloved Scope where I started my science TV career hosting as well as sister show Totally Wild. The kids TV department at Network 10 was a place where many up-and-coming producers, production coordinators, script-writers, directors and on-screen talent as well as camera and sound pros cut our teeth. So many of us have gone on to work across the industry so this was very much a loss for the industry as a training ground too. The government is yet to put Australian-made content quotas on streaming platforms like Stan, Netflix etc and it's still unclear whether and to what extent factual/doco and kids content will be included in any meaningful way if they do. YouTube is one of the only places where we can still put out kids science and educational content where kids actually consume it. On the other hand, if the justification for the social media ban is protecting kids from dangerous people and ideas, YouTube is unfortunately a main channel for the toxic 'manosphere' that funnels boys from innocent gaming content to channels that promote misogyny. So the lines of delineation between what does and doesn't get banned make less sense with that lens. Rather than blanket bans, I would love to see regulations that make online spaces safer for all of us at every age. I think of a 16 year old creating social media accounts for the first time and being exposed to this online world and I worry that banning without making the online world safer for all will put them at higher risk. Below is a photo from my days hosting Scope. #socialmedia #Australia #socialmediaban

69

5 Comments

There is something very sick in this country. Very good questions raised by Oztix founder. As Australians are we happy for our governments to subsidise overseas multinationals that pay no tax in Australia? I know I'm certainly not happy about it...this is in music. Yet there are so many examples of our federal and state governments preferencing and subsidising such multinationals across all sectors in Australian over an above innovative Australian businesses. Another example is federal and state health departments preferencing IBM's Health AI product over an above an Australian company that managed to secure the California dept of Health as a client who then subsequently dropped IBM because the Aussie startups tech was better (more accurate and cheaper). This is the 4th largest economy in the world - yet this same startup cannot even get a meeting with any State or the Federal dept of Health in Australia. How pathetic is that? What is happening to our once great country....where is the fair go for Australian businesses that pay tax in Australia? #Australiantaxpayers #Australianbusiness

4

1 Comment

Australia's government says it will introduce "world-leading" legislation to ban children under 16 from social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed laws, to be tabled in parliament next week, were aimed at mitigating the "harm" social media was inflicting on Australian children. There will be no exemptions on the age limit for children who have consent from their parents. The government says that the onus would be on social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. Albanese said there would be no penalties for users, and that it would be up to Australia's online regulator - the eSafety Commissioner - to enforce the laws. The legislation would come into force 12 months after it passes and be subject to a review after it's in place. While most experts agree that social media platforms can harm the mental health of adolescents, many are split over the efficacy of trying to outlaw them all together. Some experts argue that bans only delay young people's exposure to apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, instead of teaching them how to navigate complex online spaces. Previous attempts at restricting access, including by the European Union, have largely failed or faced backlash from tech firms. And questions remain over how implementation would work given there are tools which can circumvent age-verification requirements. #social #media #platforms #apps #tech #children #ban #online #ageverification #resctricting #exposure #TikTok #Instagram #Facebook #mental #health #legislation

8

Art, Innovation, and the Fine Line of Disruption. Recently, I shared a post about a guerrilla artist in Sydney whose unconventional public works are slowly disappearing due to urban renewal. This content resonated far more than usual across my social platforms. This experience has me wondering: In business, when does innovative thinking transition from progress to disruption? We applaud 'thinking outside the box,' but in public spaces for example, similar creativity can be viewed as vandalism. So where do we draw the line? Is it when an idea becomes a mere distraction? When it's not 'mission critical'? Or is this very disruption essential for true innovation? Are there balances between creativity, innovation, and societal norms in differing fields? How do you navigate this fine line? #Innovation #Thinking #PublicArt #CreativeDisruption #SydneyCulture #arts #sculpture

9

Today we announced a new Screen and Digital Games strategy to support and grow this dynamic sector. That’s an opportunity to grow the production industry in NSW and as the strategy sets out, we are going to cut more of the red tape that has stopped productions from coming to New South Wales. But we also have to make sure, that an increase in international production doesn’t crowd out the next crew of NIDA grads with a strong story and the skills to pull it off. That means building more studios and production facilities. The strategy will also guarantee funding for Screen NSW and it’s Made in NSW fund and it's Post Digital and Visual Effects Rebate. There will be faster response times for a fast-moving industry. There will be a Screen and Digital Games Act, that will push government agencies and local councils to support the screen industry by saying Yes to screen production, rather than No. We’re also creating a new fund for local producers to option intellectual property for local stories, whether that’s novels, non-fiction or podcasts. And there’s a new $1 million fund to address the skills shortage by boosting the careers or entry and mid-level production practitioners. This ArtsHub article provides an excellent overview of the strategy and what it means for screen and gaming professionals and companies in NSW. With over half of Australian screen production happening in NSW, this forward-thinking strategy sets the stage for even greater success and growth in the years to come.

79

4 Comments

On Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Afternoons, Joel Spreadborough and I discussed Black Friday mania, as it grips the nation, with Aussies set to splurge billions! As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, Australian shoppers are gearing up to take advantage of the biggest shopping event of the year – Black Friday. With retailers pulling out all the stops to entice customers, this year’s sales are expected to be bigger and better than ever before. With research from Roy Morgan predicting Australians will spend $6.7 billion, up 5.5% from last year. Traditionally dominated by online shopping, this year’s Black Friday is set to see a resurgence of in-store shopping, as retailers capitalise on the festive season to lure customers back to physical stores. With early deals starting weeks in advance, savvy shoppers can expect to find deep discounts across a wide range of products, from electronics and home appliances to fashion and toys. To make the most of the shopping bonanza, it is advised to set a budget, create a shopping list, and conducting thorough research, especially for tech products. Joining retailer loyalty programs can also unlock exclusive deals. While online marketplaces remain popular, brick-and-mortar stores are ramping up their efforts to attract customers with in-store promotions and special offers. With the rise of buy now, pay later (BNPL) services like Afterpay, Zip, and Openpay, many Australians are opting for alternative payment options. In fact, BNPL transactions in Australia have surged to over $9 billion in the past year. Cautionary advice, it is never a good deal if it is outside of budget, irrespective of the saving. #blackfriday #consumer #retail #australianretail #BNPL #cybermonday #sales #griffithuniversity

36

1 Comment

Independent publishers warn that designating Meta would be catastrophic for their business models and unfairly punishes them when they haven't benefitted form the news media bargaining code. The Daily Aus & Broadsheet Media have told a joint committee inquiry into social media that Facebook and Instagram blocking news could impact up to 50% of their revenues and that the potential of a news ban is already costing them substantial deals with commercial partners. This is one of the 'unintended consequences' of the Government forcing Meta to pay for news content deals by designating the tech giant. Meta has already shown in Canada that it will block news if forced to pay publishers for it, although we do not yet know whether they will take this step in Australia. Media companies are doing it tough at the minute with sweeping redundancies across the three largest players. Is compelling tech platforms that distribute news the answer when it risks killing off indies? I'm not sure it is, but any publisher that overly relies on social media for traffic needs to rethink its business model. It's simply unsustainable in the medium to long-term.

6

I’m all for things ending naturally. Insatiable growth is problematic. 25 years is incredible. -but this feels premature… Creatives being pushed to the boundaries. Unable to afford city rents, absence of live venues - now being passionately rectified by Michael Rodrigues but the long tail of loss to creative industry and livelihood continues. Small purposeful enterprises need to be nurtured. Relational rather than transactional architecture should be elevated. The most important business model is the one that has immeasurable ripple effects to culture, economy, environment and of course society. Not easy to monetise but infinitely rich in its contribution to resilience and adaptive capacity. The fact it took a creative in industry to see the important link between label and artist (hermi’s) to trigger a global launchpad is a case in point. My amazing brother, Tim Levinson aka Urthboy and the other beautiful humans behind Elefant Traks deserve recognition for confirming that independant music can be ✅ viable, ✅ maintain integrity and ✅ bring opportunity to underrepresented members of industry. BUT it doesn’t stop there. The pipeline of renewal / construction projects across Australia have great potential to nurture maker industries and creative districts for future generational enjoyment. Interim use strategies and vibrancy pilots are your best friend and for business like Elefant Traks, their greatest ally. To the next 25 years for the future indie label, the many artists and their Fams and communities that benefit from it.

6

Government Grant funding between $80,000 and $400,000 to support projects which prevent technology facilitated abuse of women. Projects should be focussed on the prevention of online harm and enhanced safety for women and children. For example projects may: - Aim to change community attitudes and behaviours, - Focus on the perpetrators of technology-facilitated abuse, or - Seek to protect and support women and children. Up to $600,000 of the total funding is allocated to organisations delivering projects that focus on prevention of tech-based abused of First Nations women. Eligible applicants must: - Hold an ABN. - Be registered for GST. - Have an Australian bank account. - Be a legal entity. - Be a non-government organisation, NFP or charitable organisation registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit commission. - Be financially viable. Eligible applicants for priority funding as a First Nations focussed project must: - Be an Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisation (ACCO), or - Be an organisation that is primarily focussed on achieving outcomes for First Nations communities, or - Be an organisation that is partnering with one of these eligible entities. Applications must be submitted by rpm (ACT local time) on 16th December 2024. For more information and to access the online application form follow the link below. If you need assistance with your application or an independent review to increase your potential for success please contact GrantSmart vie direct message.

10

As much as I am attracted to smaller and regional cities, the reality is that our large cities are where creativity (and more importantly applied creativity – innovation) occur, because critical mass and larger-scale proximity encourage experimentation and interaction and new ideas. Just up the road from where I live, the city of Sydney, the largest city in Australia (for the moment, anyway), is grappling with the loss of creative talent and the creative economy which has driven much of the excitement and liveability of the city for decades.   On 12 June, from 6:30pm–8:30pm at Centennial Hall, Sydney Town Hall, a massive line-up of Australian and global speakers – prominent artists, strategists and political decision-makers will discuss what to do about it, to help kick start strategies to turn the situation around. The organisers lay out the importance of the issue, ‘culture and creativity are the soul of our cities and communities - they create a sense of belonging, revitalise neighbourhoods, build communities, drive innovation and contribute to local and city centre economies.’ They clearly identify the problem looking for solutions – and it’s a problem many larger global cities increasingly face ‘While Sydney is a powerhouse of culture for the nation, what makes that possible is at risk. Our creative workforce increasingly can’t afford to live or work in Sydney. The availability of affordable, suitable workspace for arts and creative industries is the primary issue facing the cultural life of rapidly urbanising global cities.’ If you are in Sydney or going to be visiting at the time, this is a must. For details of the event and to book a free ticket, see here: https://lnkd.in/gvx9BBU5.

9

1 Comment

More bad news for the news media in New Zealand. We have some of the highest rates of news avoidance in the world. We not only don't trust the news media. We're now deliberately avoiding it. As the news media goes under, they can't say they weren't warned. We check out this new study. #media #MainstreamMedia #McBlog #familyfirst #familyfirstnz https://lnkd.in/gxxSkvEX 

7

1 Comment