Symposium | At the Crossroad? Australia’s Cultural Future – Australian Academy of Humanities

16-21 November. Daily free webinars.

The arrival of COVID-19, on the heels of a summer of natural disasters, has led to profound disruptions to cultural life in Australia, propelling our artists, creators, researchers and cultural institutions into survival mode, and throwing into stark relief the dramatic pre-pandemic shifts in cultural production, consumption and distribution. Yet the events of 2020 have also highlighted how deeply culture and creativity are embedded in the daily lives of Australians, giving claim to culture’s status as a public good.

The 51st Academy Symposium –  At the Crossroad? Australia’s Cultural Future – will explore Australia’s cultural terrain in light of recent events and longer-standing disruptions to consider what transformations are needed to secure our cultural and creative future. Bringing together perspectives from researchers, practitioners, creators and policy makers, it will consider how innovative cultural policy settings and creative practice could together underpin a path to recovery, for our people and our communities.

This year’s program has been convened by Malcolm Gillies AM FAHA (Australian National University), Jennifer Milam FAHA (University of Newcastle), Shelagh Magadza (The Chamber of Arts and Culture Western Australia) and Joanne Tompkins FAHA (The University of Queensland).

More on the AAH website: https://www.humanities.org.au/symposia/51stsymposium/program/