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Who'd be a RADO?

A reprint of an article by Jennifer Hunt, RADO for the South East Region, in ArtReach, the Regional Arts NSW quarterly magazine, May 2001. (Also available as a PDF - click here)

THIS ARTICLE is for anyone who's ever considered becoming a Regional Arts Development Officer.

As RADOs are one of the few full time paid arts positions available outside metropolitan areas I suspect any regionally based arts enthusiast or practitioner may have given it a thought at some time. Good job, you'd reckon. Fair salary, car supplied, arts based, bit of travel, some evening & weekend work but flexible hours.

It's not a good job, it's a great job but not only for those reasons. In fact, the work-load, irregular hours and amount of driving need careful management for the sake of personal safety, sanity & health.

Reasons to be Cheerful
The three things that make it a great job for me are the people, the purpose and the place. At the risk of generalising, I find participants and supporters of the arts to be the more interesting, engaging, amusing, challenging and creative members of the community, receptive to new ideas and willing to make things work. It is always a privilege to work with such people. As for the purpose, I will assume ArtReach readers already know what arts development can offer regional communities. For all of those important social, economic and cultural reasons it is a justified and opportune cause. We are on the side of the angels. Finally, location, location, location. Every region of NSW has places of profound beauty and significance and as a RADO you get to work in such environments. Notwithstanding diminishing services, economic restructuring, infra-structure shortfalls and the disadvantages of distance, regional living offers a quality of life that I truly value and enjoy.

Top five questions asked of a RADO
1.	Where can I get money for my project?
2.	Where else can I get money for my project?
3.	Can you open / judge / launch our exhibition / festival / project / competition?
4.	Where can I find (plinths, spotlight, urn, mobile stage, street banners, a drummer, an audience) by 5pm tomorrow for free?
5.	What do you actually do?

How to start
Quickly moving up to flatchat within a few weeks with the phone in one hand, diary in the other and car keys nearby.

Find the strong points, identify the weaknesses, devise the plan and keep listening. With a bit of circus experience, the best analogy I can find for the job is a plate spinning act where you try to keep the plates of local government, art interests, community development, funding bodies, economic development, cultural tourism & arts education from crashing down. Some-times encouragingly, the plates take flight.

It's not impossible but it’s not for everyone either. I used to be defensive about not being artform trained while employed in one of a few regional arts jobs, however I now acknowledge that not many artists would enjoy the day to day realities of submissions, meetings, reports, strategic planning, lobbying, marketing and providing support for artists and volunteers.

I have been lucky and crazy enough to do it twice, as the inaugural officer for Albury Wodonga from 1993-96 and now, since February, for the South East.

From the snow to the sea, this area is one of astonishing visual beauty with an incredible array of talented artists involving five genuinely interested local governments all with the usual daunting expectations of their RADO.

When I get the time, I’ll let you know how we’re getting on.

RADO Survival Kit
1.	Answering machine, mobile phone and email address.
2.	Cruise control and shoo roo.
3.	Travelling expresso kit.
4.	Effective Regional Arts Board and generous, committed local governments.
5.	Snow chains and beach towel (South East only)