Challenges of leadership in arts policy and practice in multicultural Australia

Abstract

Despite over thirty years of arts and cultural policy attention, there is a widespread view held by the public and artists alike that creative production does not reflect Australia's culturally diverse population. Australian society also displays increasing complexity which can no longer be confined to 'essentialised' or traditional definitions of ethnic communities. While this diversity and its emerging complexity can be 'celebrated' as a source of creativity and innovation, it can also give rise to social, political and creative challenges. A key challenge that remains for the arts sector is its ability to support the creative expression of cultural difference. One measure of inclusive creative production regards the participation of artists of non-English speaking background ('NESB'), a problematic term discussed in the thesis, in contributing to cultural formation. Yet there are half as many 'NESB' artists compared to those of other professions participating in the workforce. While under-representation is an issue for management in the arts sector, the question of representation also benefits from being understood more broadly beyond the narrow sense of multiculturalism as a tool to manage cultural difference. Despite their low presence in the arts, 'NESB' artists find and generate support for their practice through creative, institutional and organisational domains which are critical for effecting sustained change in the arts environment. I argue that 'friction' occurs when these domains encounter cultural difference. The presence of friction can inspire creativity but also needs to be carefully handled. The ability to gain 'trust' through this process gives rise to creative, institutional and organisational leadership. The thesis questions the relationship between Australian arts policies and the fostering of creative practice of 'NESB' artists. This relationship is broached by considering creative, institutional and organisational leadership with a focus on the final Arts in a Multicultural Australia (AMA) policies of 2000 and 2006. Creative leadership refers to the work of artists who generate new developments in diverse creative content and generate opportunities for other artists. Institutional leadership refers to the internal policy processes and peers who work with the Australia Council. Organisational leadership refers to those in positions of influence in funded arts organisations to provide resources and support to 'NESB' artists. The term developed in this thesis of a 'multicultural arts milieu' presents an alternative given the current absence of arts policy to explore the environment around multicultural arts practices. This thesis explores the relationship between visionary aspects of practice and policy. The leadership modes that are relevant to the arts in a multicultural Australia include transactional, transformative, distributive and relational leadership, all of which benefit from processes of 'attunement' and 'accompaniment' to realise effective creative co-production. The research demonstrates the crucial role of creative leaders and how they work with the 'mainstream' while maintaining their creative integrity and independence to generate a 'virtuous' circle of change. I argue that it is the 'NESB' artists who lead change in the arts sector. I also argue that creative and organisational leadership working in partnership make creative use of 'friction' and develop the necessary 'trust' to generate the 'traction' for a supportive multicultural arts milieu.

Date of Award	2018
Original language	English