Understanding Cultural Safety in the Arts

UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL SAFETY IN THE ARTS
Thursday 18 July 2024, 2pm ACDT
Nexus Arts, Lion Arts Centre, 68 North Terrace, Adelaide, Kaurna Yarta
Presented by the Arts Industry Council of South Australia

The Arts Industry Council of South Australia (AICSA) recently conducted research into workplace health and safety in the SA arts sector.  The results of this survey highlighted that Cultural Safety is an area that needs further development within the sector.

Hear our expert speakers Nara Wilson, Dr Ruth DeSouza and Esther Anatolitis discuss their work and perspectives on organisational change to improve the cultural safety of artists and arts workers.  While there is no one single quick fix to a complex issue, this discussion is intended as a conversation-starter around how to drive change.  We hope this will be the first in several sessions hosted by AICSA to assist with this crucial work.

Nibbles will be provided.

The event will be recorded for those unable to attend in-person.

What is Cultural Safety

Central to feeling safe at work is the expectation that people feel culturally safe. Each person has their own unique cultural identity. Australia is home to the oldest living First Nations cultures in the world and is now one of the most multicultural countries. 

A culturally safe workplace is "…an environment that is spiritually, socially and emotionally safe, as well as physically safe for people; where there is no assault, challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are and what they need. It is about shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge and experience of learning together." (Williams, R. (1999). Cultural safety – what does it mean for our work practice? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 23(2), 213-214) 

About AICSA

AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE ARTS

The Arts Industry Council SA (AICSA) is a non-government not-for-profit acting as an independent voice for the arts in SA.  Run by a volunteer Executive Committee and part-time General Manager, AICSA acts on behalf of our members to advocate for a strong future for South Australian artists, arts workers and arts organisations.

As the state’s independent, sector-wide representative arts body, the Arts Industry Council of SA (AICSA) is extremely valuable to the South Australian arts sector. AICSA was constituted as an incorporated institution in 1991. The Council receives no operational funding from the government, and derives its support from the industry through member subscriptions, fundraising, sponsorship and in-kind donations.

Our members include over one hundred of the state’s arts and cultural organisations and independent artists. It is to our credit, the South Australian arts sector, that our collective commitment to maintaining our member subscriptions, allows this tradition to continue here today.

Acknowledgements

This project is supported by the Healthy Workplaces Strategy Grants Program, which is funded by Preventative Health SA and administered by South Australian Business Chamber.