Visual Culture and Industry Bodies

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2010:

This subject will introduce students to a range of arts bodies whose function it is to create, support and promote the arts. This is an industry-focussed subject where representatives of local and national arts industries offer students specific insight into their role and function. Representatives will include directors and executives from various industry bodies including government agencies, state institutions, regional organizations, contemporary spaces, commercial entities and professional associations. Visual culture organisations contributing to the subject can include: the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Museum of Victoria, the Australian Film Institute, Arts Victoria, the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Jewish Museum of Australia, Village Roadshow, Sothebys Australia, Buena Vista, Sharmill Films, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces and Cinema Nova, among others. Students will study the history and development of these industry bodies as well as their social and cultural impact. They will explore such areas as governance, funding, sponsorship, philanthropy, programming, policy formation, administration and audience research. Emphasis will be on the aims and goals of these bodies, the extent to which they fulfil community needs and the degree to which they promote the arts. External constraints such as censorship, government policy and community response will also be considered.

Students undertaking this subject will:

• be familiar with the scope and function of various arts culture bodies, industries and non profit organisations in the arts community;
• be able to recognise the internal and external constraints that affect the workings of a range of arts culture bodies and how key professionals deal with issues specific to the industry;
• have an understanding of the complex relationships that exist between cultural organisations, industry bodies and community needs;
• gain an understanding of how to engage with a diverse range of arts practices and to measure their impact on different audiences; and
• have been introduced to the necessary skills and knowledge required to take up professional work with one of these bodies.

A subject reader will be available.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• be able to demonstrate an advanced development of research skills;
• be able to define areas of inquiry and create relevant methods of research in the preparation of essays;
• be able to conceptualise theoretical problems, form judgements and arguments and communicate critically, creatively and theoretically through essay writing, tutorial discussion and presentations;
• be able to demonstrate highly developed skills in presentations;
• to be able to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay writing and seminar discussion; and
• be able to participate productively in team work through involvement in syndicate groups and group discussions.