A Big Dialogue: The State of the Arts in The Lucky Country?

The Academy, in association with Australian Dialogues, will present a Big Dialogue on arts policy on the eve of our 2024 Symposium.

The Big Dialogue format has developed over the past four years as a successful, trusted platform for better public discussion of contentious policy issues by people with different viewpoints.

"The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress." - Joseph Joubert

A panel, moderated by Kelly Burke, arts reporter for The Guardian Australia, including former Queensland Minister for the Arts, Ian Walker, University of the Sunshine Coast Creative Industries Lecturer, Dr Karen Hands and former Artistic Director at Opera Australia, Lyndon Terracini AM OSI, will engage in an in-depth, long-form, enlightening discussion. It will probe issues about funding, governance, and sustainability for the Arts sector in Australia. Australian Dialogues work by putting different points of view in conversation with one another.

Event details

A Big Dialogue: The State of the Arts in the Lucky Country? Convenor: Professor Fred D'Agostino FAHA
Title: The State of the Arts in Australia: The Lucky Country
Event Date: 5.30pm, 13 November 2024
Venue: Louie Louie (upstairs), Verity Lane Market, Sydney Building, 50 Northbourne Avenue
Registration: Snacks are included in the ticket price and there will be a cash bar onsite. Held in the hub of Verity Lane Market – ticket holders can stay on for dinner and drinks, with a range of cuisine on offer.

Return to Symposium Website

Kelly Burke (moderator)

Kelly Burke is the Arts Reporter at Guardian Australia, a role made possible with Balnaves Foundation sponsorship. Growing up in rural New Zealand, she moved to Sydney to attend university before starting her media career with The Sydney Morning Herald in 1995. She was most recently a Senior Digital Journalist with the Seven Network and a Senate Media Adviser for the Parliament of Australia.

Speakers

Ian Walker
A lawyer for 35 years, Ian was Brisbane Managing Partner and National Board member of his international firm before being elected as a Queensland State MP from 2012 - 2017. He was appointed Assistant Minister for Planning Reform and, subsequently, Minister for Science, IT, Innovation, and the Arts. He served as a member of the School Council of the Anglican Church grammar School (Churchie) and as President of the Churchie Foundation. He has held positions both at Diocesan and National level with the Anglican Church. He was a Trustee of the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Community Trust from 2005-2010. He has had a long association with the arts, having previously chaired the Board of Camerata (Qld's Chamber Orchestra), and is now President of Queensland Youth Orchestras. He maintains an interest in science and innovation, and from 2017-2020 was a member of the External Engagement Board of the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation within QUT. He is a Life Member of the Urban Development Institute of Aust. (Qld) and holds the Distinguished Service Award from the Federal Liberal Party of Australia. He is currently engaged in the McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership within Monash University. He and Heather have 2 children and 4 grandchildren.

Comm. Lyndon Terracini AM OSI

Lyndon Terracini is an operatic baritone who was the Artistic Director of Opera Australia from 2009 to 2022. He has sung major roles in the major festivals and opera houses in Australia, the UK, Europe and the US for thirty years.

At Opera Australia he conceived Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, which has become a major international event, The Divorce, a television opera in four parts over four evenings. He produced the first performances of The Ring for Opera Australia in 2013, 2016 and created the concept for the first digital Ring in 2023. Other commissions included The Rabbits (Kate Miller-Heidke) and Whiteley (Elena Kats-Chernin).

Lyndon Terracini founded NORPA (Northern Rivers Performing Arts (1993-2007). He was appointed Artistic Director and CEO of the Queensland Music Festival in 2000 and directed the 2001, 2003 and 2005 festivals. He was appointed the Artistic Director and CEO of Brisbane Festival in 2005 and Artistic Director and CEO of Major Brisbane Festivals in 2007.

In June 1999 Lyndon Terracini was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Music Theatre by Central Queensland University. In February 2000 he was awarded a Fellowship by the Music Fund of the Australia Council for the Arts.

In 2001 he was awarded an Honorary D.Univ from Southern Cross University and in 2005 he was awarded the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award by Australian Business Arts Foundation (ABAF).

In 2005 Lyndon Terracini was appointed Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland and in 2007 he was awarded a D.Univ by Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

He was appointed to the jury of the Venice Biennale for Music and was a judge at the Savonlinna Opera Festival Singing Competition.

In 2011 Lyndon Terracini delivered the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address and in 2014 his service to the performing arts as an operatic performer, director and administrator was recognised with a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

In 2018 Lyndon Terracini was awarded one of the highest civilian honours in Italy for services to music, Commendatore dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy).

Dr Karen Hands

Karen Hands is a researcher and educator with a professional background in the creative industries. She is a lecturer and program coordinator of the Bachelor of Creative Industries program at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Karen’s research focuses on the political, economic and social aspects of the arts and creative industries, specifically examining how policy shapes the career trajectories of creative/cultural workers. Her research has been published in scholarly journals including the International Journal of Cultural Policy, the International Journal of Arts Management, and Gender and Education. Karen is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has previously held positions at Griffith Review, Queensland Writers Centre and Brisbane Powerhouse. She has been a peer assessor for Creative Australia and Arts Queensland.

About The Australian Dialogues

Australian Dialogues is Australia’s first dedicated bridging organisation and a growing corner of the public square - a wholly independent, neutral, intergenerational, volunteer-based, not-for-profit project to model and facilitate discussions about big ideas and issues.

Australian Dialogues aims to demonstrate that productive discussions can still be had between people with opposing or widely divergent views, and support other organisations to do similar, pushing back against the polarisation and deteriorating discourse which is making good policy harder to achieve, and damaging society generally.

It is inspired by Braver Network in America and is an initiative of The Brisbane Dialogues Inc., Australia’s first dedicated bridging or civil discourse organisation.

About the format
A panel of accomplished speakers (and listeners) with differing perspectives and expertise will be moderated in an in-depth, long-form, enlightening discussion in a congenial setting.

The Big Dialogue series has developed in Brisbane over the past four years as a unique and successful platform for better public discussion of contentious policy issues. This neutral, independent, not-for-profit forum brings together experts who disagree, yet are willing to seek common ground and explore possible agreed solutions. Big Dialogues are designed to demonstrate that contentious national issues can still be discussed frankly, fearlessly and civilly, in a non-partisan way, in public, by people of goodwill, in good faith, in pursuit of truth, progress - and better policy and outcomes.

Subjects previously addressed include universal basic income, the China-Australia relationship, climate change, pandemic management, energy transition, housing and social media impacts/regulation.

The Big Dialogues program is now being expanded nationally by members of the Australian Dialogues network.

Big Dialogues are not for everyone. They are for curious, concerned citizens who are willing to listen respectfully to views they don't agree with in order to understand complexities better and who are open to refining or even changing their own position. They are not for those who have made their minds up, want to promote a fixed position, or just want to cheer on speakers they agree with. It is definitely not for anyone wanting to denigrate speakers or fellow citizens they don't agree with.

As always, the dialogue will be conducted under The Brisbane Rule, which includes the audience as well as the speakers on stage!: All participants agree to listen carefully, speak civilly and concentrate on the content of discussions, not on characters - before, during and afterwards, online and offline.

Arts policy is an important matter, but the premise of Australian Dialogues is that the greatest problem we face is the growing inability to have good discussions about all the other problems we face. Polarisation and uncivil discourse are widely lamented, analysed and commented upon; Australian Dialogues is doing something about them.

Partner
The Academy acknowledges the partnership and support by The Australian Dialogues.

Sponsor

Student ticket prices are available, thanks to the generous contribution of a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

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