Bushfire 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 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 […]
Read moreMeasuring arts and culture – does it have to be all or nothing?
Many years ago it was common to think it impossible, misleading and wrong to measure broad intangible concepts like, arts, culture and the environment. It just didn’t feel right to put a value on these things. Now it is well accepted to measure the value of the environment, as well as arts, culture and wellbeing. […]
Read moreFrom moo to mime- Rockhampton’s artistic transition
Have you been to Rockhampton lately? The beef capital of Australia is going through a period of artistic and cultural change. And that’s no bull. But don’t get me wrong. When you arrive at the airport don’t expect to have your portrait painted as you wait at the luggage carousel. You are unlikely to be […]
Read moreABC radio interview – my work evaluating the role of the arts in disaster recovery
Whilst in Rockhampton last week at the Articulate:Queensland Regional Arts and Culture Conference 2013, I was interviewed on local ABC Radio. Jacqui Mackay, Breakfast Presenter on ABC Capricornia, spoke with me about my work evaluating arts-led initiatives to help rebuilding communities after natural disasters. You can listen to the audio file here. http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2013/08/can-the-arts-help-after-a-disaster.html?site=capricornia&program=capricornia_breakfast
Read moreRockhampton Regional Arts Rundown
For three days last week a few hundred delegates descended on Rockhampton for Articulate: Queensland Regional Arts and Culture Conference. It was no coincidence the conference was held in Rockhampton; this region is experiencing a burst of creative activity and energy, with the Creative Capricorn initiative in full swing. The presentation topics were interesting and […]
Read moreFour market research techniques that will become obsolete before we can imagine
Do you have gadgets that are being superseded before you even get a chance to use them? I certainly do. Some online tools I am using for evaluation projects are being superseded within the course of the project timeline. But it is not just the evolution of technology that seems to be driving trends in […]
Read moreHow do you know what you need to know?
So, you have a research or evaluation project ready to put out to tender. How do you know what information you need to know? How do you know what approach to take in order to address your questions? A capable and skilled consultant can work through this for you or with you, but in the […]
Read moreSocial media monitoring in evaluation projects
To conduct a program evaluation is fundamentally about exploring the extent to which the initiative meets its intended objectives. We are currently evaluating an arts-based program Creative Capricorn being rolled out in Rockhampton over a period of three years. It involves the integration of artistic and cultural programs to help diversify the local economy and […]
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