University of the Arts Singapore’s Post

My Tuesday...attend Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Festival and Awards launch at Home of the Arts, pick up camera gear and jump on a video call with Federal Senior Advisors to the Minister for the Arts. How and Why you may ask? (I know you didn't but I'm going to tell you anyway because this perfectly summarises what I do). The launch - of the AACTA Festival included the Screen Careers Expo presented by Essential Screen Skills (my wonderful workplace!). This event provides a platform for all Creative Industries to showcase careers, pathways and employment in the Screen Industry. The AACTA Festival itself includes an incredible myriad of professional learning and sure opportunity to fangirl over Aussie legends too. The launch was also a great celebration and reflection of the economic impact, tourism opportunities and jobs created that the Screen Industry brings. The camera gear - this week we are collaborating with Asia Pacific Screen Awards to deliver the Reel Connections networking event and Youth Pitch Masterclass (we have 11 eager High School students keen to pitch their ideas to ASPA Mentor Producers). Our ESS Youth Ambassadors will also be flexing their social media content creation skills - snapping photos and highlights reels. Hence camera gear to capture the magic! The video call - here is where it comes full circle. As the representative and in my capacity as Co-Chair of Australian Teachers of Media I work with the incredible team at National Advocates for Arts Education. Currently, the Tertiary pathways to Creative Industries is in a crisis - there I said it. It's a crises and we are advocating at Federal, State and Institution levels to bring attention to bigger picture challenges that students and the industry will face. It's no secret that there is a shortage of skilled technicians in the Creative Industries. There is a survey running currently to capture what is happening across the country at a Tertiary level. Please share (the findings already are so disheartening). https://lnkd.in/g3Ng4etb

This course provides valuable content for creating and maintaining union/student center environments that welcome, respect and honor all individuals. Topics covered will include accessibility, cultural audits of art and campus icons, and much more. https://buff.ly/4bpNiDw

Wow. This is, at the same time, a brilliant statement about an essential issue and totally depressing and boring that we are even still debating the matter. Art is vital. Our culture is what makes us human. The short-sightedness of cutting arts funding anywhere, but ESPECIALLY in education is mind-blowingly stupid. Want a happy population, constructive society and thriving economy? Throw money at culture. Want a sad, stale, stagnant situation? Cut arts education. Read my recent articles for Sceptical Scot (which cite the excellent work by Campaign for the Arts) for my proposed solution. Cutting arts funding is like a business facing financial difficulty cutting marketing spend, stupid. Local, national and federal governments take note: sort this out now or watch our future spiral down the drain.

This excellent Campaign for the Arts & University of Warwick report provides some compelling insights into arts funding in the UK.  Australia and New Zealand are similarly under severe funding pressure from Goverment. It's a no-brainer that government funding is essential for the arts and creativity to thrive. Additionally, organisations must be equipped with commercial and business development capabilities to articulate, leverage, and advocate their inherent value through strategic partnerships. These partnerships are essential to underpin organisational purpose and generate funds for growth. Empowering arts organisations with the self-sustaining skills to define an enterprise-wide understanding of their value proposition and strategically unlock it is not just about survival—it's about ensuring they continue to flourish and enrich our society. Strategic collaborations can unlock new opportunities, drive innovation, attract new audiences, and secure new capabilities, revenues, and funding streams. But yes, as Justine says, it's also a no-brainer that government funding is critical to providing organisations with the stability to plan for overall sustainability and lasting success. Additionally, sector-specific and organisational performance benchmarking across key measures is vital to evaluating performance, identifying new opportunities, and planning for success. Together, they can combine to create a vibrant, dynamic arts sector suitably equipped to meet today's and tomorrow's challenges. #ArtsFunding #StrategicPartnerships #ArtsLeadership #CulturalGrowth #CreativeIndustries #PerformanceBenchmarking #CreativeAustralia #CreativeVictoria #CreateNSW Sandwalk Partners

Join the discussion how to promote a framework where justice and imagination as well as science and the fine arts can thrive.

Just gonna keep on highlighting this issue… it’s not going away. The impact is now hitting education - FE particularly very hard indeed.Senior management play a numbers game and it’s all about money not success of our young creatives. Low numbers and they will and are closing courses. Once closed these provisions rarely start up again. The outcome? FE will become creative wastelands. The industry will not be able to recruit the new generation. Industry.. this is happening now. It’s time to wake up. Be woke. Protect our industry’s future.

Unless the government choose to radically reform education's accountabililty system, the arts will continue to be squeezed out of schools regardless of funding. We treasure what we measure, and the Ebacc performance measure (Gove, 2010) prioritised core subjects, meaning schools focused on this at the expense of creative arts. Art GCSE entries have dropped by around 42% since then. Let's hope this current government curriculum and assessment review is a genuine attempt to make change #education #arts

Art is essential to teach from the earliest stages of education because it nurtures creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving—foundational skills across all subjects. Art cultivates a unique approach to learning that connects deeply with subjects like math, science, and literature, reinforcing concepts through visual and hands-on experiences. For example, geometry finds practical application in sculpture, physics in painting techniques, and storytelling in visual compositions. Beyond academia, art education fosters innovation and adaptability, aligning with demands in the evolving job market. Fields like design, technology, and engineering increasingly rely on creative minds, highlighting how art provides skills and a mindset prepared for future challenges and opportunities. https://lnkd.in/eJQFP4qs

🌟 Really interesting research opportunity from the The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon 👇👇👇 Exploring Qs: Why do we have artform/arts practice definitions and what is their role? How do other arts councils define/decide what artforms/arts practices are funded? How do we ensure that considerations around artistic quality and inclusivity are aligned? Is what we support reflective of current and emerging artistic practice? How could artform/arts practice definitions cause barriers to engaging with and participating in the arts? To what extent could the Arts Council be more agile and inclusive of evolving artforms and arts practices? #loveresearch #artsparticipation #inclusion

The arts ignite imagination, creativity, and innovation. They shape future problem-solvers and leaders. Let’s continue advocating for the vital role of arts in education. #ArtsMatter #CreativeEducation #InspiringImagination #InnovationThroughArt 🎭📚🎨✨🌟💡