The September Edition – Vanghoua Anthony Vue’s installation as part BrisAsia Festival 2016 (detail). Photo credit: Dylan Evans Photography.
Growing the creative economy means having artists and arts workers who are as skilled professionally as they are creatively rigorous. Making sense of copyright guidelines, the ins and outs of marketing, tax law for creatives, even learning how to write a great grant application – in the past such skills have been learned piecemeal and organically, over time.
Recognising that professional development is just as important to a successful artistic career as innate talent, Brisbane City Council will present a series of free information sessions for artists, arts workers and other creatives on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 September at Little Tokyo Two in Spring Hill.
Called The September Edition, the program is a valuable opportunity to gain practical advice directly from an experienced range of arts industry professionals, as well as learning about Council initiatives for local artists and creative entrepreneurs.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said The September Edition was a valuable opportunity for creatives to network and gain knowledge to progress their careers.
‘Council is committed to nurturing and supporting the creative sector in Brisbane and provides a number of opportunities for creative people including grants and awards, to grow and encourage local talent,’ Quirk said.
‘The September Edition sessions will be held over two days and offers opportunities for creatives to meet and share ideas, knowledge and creative know-how.’
Learn more about The September Edition
Charlie Cush, General Manager of Brisbane’s world-renowned company Circa, is eagerly participating in The September Edition, having gained much from such programs in the past.
‘I came up through the Brisbane arts scene attending a heap of these kinds of free industry programs, and gained insights into a range of learning areas that I still use today in my role as GM of Circa,’ Cush said.
Cush will facilitate a panel about arts marketing and the media, including former Queensland Music Festival Marketing & Communications Director Giuliana Bonel, and experienced arts publicist Natasha Spong from Agency North.
‘When I was asked to participate in this Council program I didn’t hesitate. Many of the not-for-for-profit organisations who once lead the field in this area have either closed or been defunded, so the role that local government plays in filling this space is an important one,’ said Cush.
Another panel will focus on demystifying the taxation system; an important topic for all artists – especially those who are running their own small businesses.
‘Independent creatives of all kinds often spend a lot of their productive time engaged in generating creative output. While the fruits of creative labour are crucial to arts and culture, to make it in the industry you need a whole range of skills you can draw on including financial, legal, technical and more,’ said Elliott Bledsoe, Marketing & Communications Manager at Queensland Writers Centre, who will facilitate the tax panel.
‘And if you can’t afford to pay someone else to do these things for you, you have to do them for yourself. We’re an industry of do-it-yourself, that’s why workshops, seminars and training that equip creatives to manage their creative and their professional practice are so important.’
Book for The September Edition
The September Edition also represents a valuable opportunity for Brisbane artists to learn more about Council’s arts grants program, according to Brisbane Street Art Festival’s Lincoln Savage, a previous recipient of Brisbane City Council’s Innovation Award.
‘These information sessions are incredibly important. It’s almost like it’s a requirement,’ Savage told ArtsHub.
The September Edition will be held at Little Tokyo Two, 36 Mein Street, Spring Hill on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 September. The event is free, but bookings are essential. Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au for full program details and booking information.
