Indigenous Art and Changing the Nation

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

136 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject brings together a vast range of different arts practices to give an holistic view of Indigenous arts and their role in facilitating voice and its use as a tool for social change. Presented over 12 weeks, students will be given access to a broad range of Indigenous guest lecturers who will present upon seminal works from their oeuvre and discuss their impact on mainstream Australia. Students will also examine the role of art as a tool for resistance and self-actualisation within Indigenous communities, studying the effects of cultural reclamation and artistic practice on the mental and spiritual wellbeing of a people.

At the conclusion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Compare and evaluate some of Australia’s most significant works of art, as seen through their creator’s eyes.
• Construct meaningful links to interact with, value and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture within culturally Safe frameworks.
• Discuss contemporary Australian history as it relates to Indigenous Australians.
• Analyse and assess the positive role that arts and culture plays in the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of a community.
• Discover and develop meaningful connections to the land upon which they live and study, its stories and histories
• Identify the role of art as voice and its ability to affect political and societal change and empower communities.
• Classify and critique the issues faced by Indigenous people today in their quest for cultural reclamation.

• In-class participation i.e. contribution to class discussion, preparation of reading material, active contribution to group work, etc; ongoing throughout the semester (10%)
• Reflective Journal (200 words or equivalent weekly); Weeks 2-12 (45%)
• 2000 word essay (or equivalent); during assessment period (45%)

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Science

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

At the completion of this subject, students should be:

• Well-resourced in aspects of the nation’s shared history and the role of our artists, which will facilitate students to establish a dialogue across cultures.
• Able to identify and access areas of greater cultural diversity within their own community.
• Capable of critically analysing and understanding the power of art as a tool for societal change.
• Better resourced in problem solving and communication skills within diverse cultural frameworks.
• Well-versed in alternative methods of recoding, maintaining and perpetuating history and identity.
• Able to conduct themselves within culturally diverse communities whilst maintaining practices which are culturally safe for all involved.