Top tips and thoughts from 2013 – 7 blog highlights
My weekly blogs are designed to provide tips, insights and ideas for my clients and colleagues working in the arts and cultural sectors, evaluation and market research research, government policy planning and the human services sectors – in metropolitan and regional Australia. To round off the year, here is a summary of my most popular […]
Read more5 tips for good survey design
These days, there are a number of free survey software platforms available to enable anyone to design and run a survey free of charge. If you are taking advantage of this and designing your own survey without the help of an expert, here are some tips to help you avoid some common mistakes. Tip #1: […]
Read moreMusic links regional and rural communities in central Queensland
Kate Leahy is a dynamic, articulate and talented local Rockhampton musician. When she was 17 she felt she had to leave the area if she wanted to pursue a career in music, as there were few opportunities to work as a local artist. A few years ago Kate returned to Rockhampton but found it challenging […]
Read more5 tips for regional towns unsuccessful in arts grant applications
Preparing an application for a grant takes time and effort, even for the highly experienced. It is a task that requires considerable creative thinking, networking, research, well honed writing skills, sound financial management, teamwork and time management. It can be particularly challenging when you are a small town applying for an arts grant. If you […]
Read more5 small towns thinking big with the arts
Can the arts transform small towns? And what does transformation really mean? Five towns of less than 1500 people in regional Victoria have been selected through a competitive tender process to be part of a pilot project called Small Towns Transformations that involves using the creative power of the arts to contribute to place making. […]
Read moreCreative Capricorn – Peering into Rockhampton’s creative future
In 2012, Rockhampton was chosen as one of two regions in Australia (the other being Goolwa, South Australia) to trial a new model of cultural development. The model is a partnership between the three tiers of government and local communities, aimed to demonstrate that arts and cultural projects can increase social cohesion and improve quality […]
Read moreBushfire recovery – 6 success factors from the Black Saturday recovery process
New South Wales is currently in the grip of its worst natural disaster in nearly half a century. A state of emergency is in effect across the state. There are currently 56 fires burning around the state; 12 of which are not contained and three in the Blue Mountains are in danger of merging into […]
Read moreOne common myth about the role of the arts in disaster recovery
In recent years Australia has experienced some its worst natural disasters on public record. These included the Black Saturday Bushfires in Victoria in 2009, Cyclone Yasi and floods in Queensland in early 2011. Following these natural disasters, new models of support were trialled to help rebuild disaster-affected communities by using arts-led and creative activities. I […]
Read moreOnline research and evaluation tools – 2 limitations
The internet is becoming a widely used tool for conducting research because it allows people to access a significant amount of information affordably, and without geographical boundaries and time limits. Arts organisations are eager to collect audience data, but it is often the expense and expertise required that prevents them from doing so. Online research […]
Read moreBellingen Arts Week – 3 key success factors
About a year ago, the Bellingen Arts and Cultural Committee – comprising a team of enthusiastic local volunteers – thought it would be a good idea to have a week dedicated to the arts in Bellingen. But Bellingen is already a creative place; why the need for an arts week? The aim was to help […]
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