Dismay as James Cook University proposes closure of creative arts in North Queensland

Artists, academics and creative communities fear the loss of one of the region's only university qualification in creative arts.

James Cook University (JCU) is proposing to close the BA creative arts major in North Queensland by the end of 2023.

If these proposed changes are implemented, there will be no university qualification in creative arts available in far north Queensland, a devastating loss for Australia’s tropical arts ecology and its creative communities.

On 15 August 2023, JCU issued five Change Management Proposals, including one to close the Design and Creative Arts major in the BA at its Cairns and Townsville campuses.

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Rochelle Siemienowicz is Screen Content Lead at Screenhub. She is a writer, film critic and cultural commentator with a PhD in Australian cinema and was the co-host of Australia's longest-running film podcast 'Hell is for Hyphenates'. Rochelle has written a memoir, Fallen, published by Affirm Press. Her second book, Double Happiness, a novel, is out with Midnight Sun on October 1, 2024. Instagram: @Rochelle_Rochelle Twitter: @Milan2Pinsk