News

Stellar line-up for arts impacts forum

9 July 2004

Regional Arts NSW has confirmed a stellar line-up of some of the country's most important thinkers on the place and worth of the arts in Australia for a one-day forum in Byron Bay on Thursday 29 July, 'What do we reckon? Measuring the cultural, economic and social impacts of the arts in Australia".

Researchers, arts and policy workers will be coming together to discuss the issues, hear about current research and consider future directions.

Amongst the sixteen speakers confirmed are:

	Professor David Throsby, internationally known for 30 years of work in the economics of art and culture;
	Scott Rankin, multi-award winning playwright and National Artistic Director of social change arts organisation, BIG hART;
	Rhoda Roberts, accomplished actor and artistic director, TV presenter, writer, arts consultant and events producer;
	Dr Mary Thomas, recently appointed Executive Director for the Humanities and Creative Arts at the ARC;
	Professor Stuart Cunningham, author of some of Australia's most influential works in media, communication and cultural studies;
	Jan Muir, General Manager, Research, Statistics and Technology for the Department of Communications, IT and the Arts;
	Tony Moore, Commissioning Editor of Pluto Press, TV program maker and cultural and political commentator;
	Roger Wilkins, Director-General of the NSW Cabinet Office and NSW Ministry for the Arts;

In addition to the specialist one-day forum there will also be two public forums at the Byron Bay Writers Festival on Friday 30 July - "Is it worth it? Art in Australia" and "Why can't writers make a dollar?".

The forum is an initiative of the Regional Arts NSW Audience Development program hosted in conjunction with the Australia Council for the Arts and the Northern Rivers Writers' Centre.

For full forum program and further information click here.