Dear Alison,

Congratulations on the invitation and on this initiative...very inclusive and

democratic.

I agree with the focus on supporting and nurturing artists.. without them no

amount of support for infrastructure, buildings, companies, marketing

matters... in fact  they are superfluous.

One of the frameworks that might be useful for advancing the arguments  is

the primary, secondary, tertiary layers of people and activities required

to make, house and distribute the arts.

At the primary level.. is the artist.. working solo or in groups,  dreaming,

conceptualising, creating, making, interpreting.

At the secondary level is the medium through which the work reaches the public..

theatre companies, galleries, opera and dance companies.

At the tertiary level are the distribution mechanisms...digital, mechanical,

publishing,  recording labels, touring etc.. that enables the work to reach

wider audiences.

If you consider the healthy ecology of the arts to be a function of  the

equal health and interdependency of the above...then  over and above

capacity to generate income, other resources/ support should be distributed

accordingly.

Support for artists should be overt and covert.. overt through Government

support schemes, and covert through the  concessions and legislation eg

copyright (incl droite de suite), unemployment benefits etc. In addition to

the good local and international examples mentioned there is the Aosdana.

an Irish scheme that elects members and supports artists with a stipend, and

is a forum of "wise elders"  that are sent issues for consideration by the

PM , and has a role to play in Irish public life. It is worth exploring.

And perhaps we could reconsider  the artists fellowships informally known as the Keatings...

So many mid career artists benefitted. It turned their lives around.

I look forward to more good reading in the days ahead

regards

Andrea

Professor Andrea Hull AO

Director Victorian College of the Arts