Writings, News
Jo Higgins
Routledge publication: Youth Programs in Art ...
Routledge publication: Youth Programs in Art Museums - An International Perspective
Writings
Jo Higgins
Art Guide Australia: Field Notes. A Grassroots ...
Art Guide Australia: Field Notes. A Grassroots Approach to Public Art
Events, Review, News
Jo Higgins
Berlin trip: Connected Audiences Conference and ...
Berlin trip: Connected Audiences Conference and some Art, Art, Art....
Writings, News
Jo Higgins
Art Guide Australia: Home Truths - feature story
Art Guide Australia: Home Truths - feature story
News, Writings
Jo Higgins
Artlink magazine's 'Hyphen' issue published
Artlink magazine's 'Hyphen' issue published

Churchill Fellowship

Churchill Chat - Equity, Inclusion & the Impact of COVID-19 on the Arts

One of the many brilliant things to have emerged from the experience of my Churchill Fellowship has been my friendship with fellow Fellows Patricia Adjei and Morwenna Collett - experienced, passionate arts advocates and leaders in their own fields.

On 30 August we were invited to hold a “Churchill Chat“ by the NSW Churchill Fellows Association. Given we were all in the middle of Sydney’s second COVID lockdown it was held online. But also… given we were all in the middle of Sydney’s second COVID lockdown we took the opportunity to revisit our respective Fellowship learnings and reflect on some of the bigger conversations happening in the arts at the moment around equity, inclusion and the impact of COVID-19 on the sector and on the respective audiences and stakeholders our research focused on.

As always, I learnt a lot from the conversation and I’m excited it’s finally up online to share:

OTHER POSTS

Recommended reading - Teen Vogue

“Teen Art Councils are Pushing for Change at Prestigious Museums.”

This is a brilliant article by Claire Voon for Teen Vogue on the current activism of a number of youth councils at museums across the United States. I had the privilege to meet with many of these organisations (and their young people) during my Churchill Fellowship last year, including the Brooklyn Museum, MCA Chicago and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and it just brings home to me, again, how truly transformative these programs can be.

Read the full article here.

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SAMAG Talk - Bringing it home: Innovation & Ideas from the Churchill Fellowship

I’ve been invited by the Sydney Arts Management Advisory Group (SAMAG) to join a panel discussion next week, with my fellow Fellows, Morwenna Collett and Patricia Adjei to reflect on our experiences and learnings undertaking Churchill Fellowships. I can’t believe it’s been 12 months now since I got back and so much has happened in that time - it’s going to be interesting to see how all of our findings and recommendations necessarily recalibrate in response. I’m just so grateful I had the opportunity to go last year…

Tickets are available via the link but the whole discussion should be posted to the website soon after.

Monday 13 June 2020

6.30 - 7.30pm

Zoom

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Churchill Fellowship Report - findings

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A simple graphic for a very significant undertaking…

In describing what was involved over the course of my eight-week Churchill Fellowship earlier this year, a friend reflected recently that it must have been like “drinking water from a fire hose.” I don’t think I could have found a more appropriate metaphor!

I remain so inspired by the people I met and the programs I had the opportunity to learn about. I’m so grateful to have had this extraordinary opportunity and I am really proud and excited (and relieved…) to finally have my report ready to share.

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Upcoming SAMAG Panel - Youth arts: why we should care what young people think

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Strikers! Youth leading change change panel, Conversation Starters 2019: Temperature Rising, MCA Australia, 2 June 2019. Photo: Jodie Barker, Image courtesy: MCA Australia

Since getting back from my Churchill Fellowship, I’ve been working with the Sydney Arts Management Advisory Group (SAMAG) to co-produce the upcoming panel conversation Youth Arts: why we should care what young people think.

I’m going to be sharing some of my Churchill findings, as well as insights from the MCA GENEXT impact report before a panel of brilliant young people offer their insights and experiences working with six different Sydney arts organisations across the theatre, visual arts, music and heritage sectors.

Wednesday 11 September at MCA

5pm - MCA Young Guides tour of Shaun Gladwell: Pacific Undertow

6pm - Panel conversation with Q&A to follow

Tickets available here.

This quick style insight conversation will focus on the developing role and growth of youth committees and young people’s advisory groups within our arts and cultural organisations. What kinds of expertise do young people bring – as creative producers or advisors? What is their impact and how is the practice of our arts organisations responding to their contribution? How are young people being reached, communicated with and included in the arts beyond being sought as audience members? What does the arts sector look like to newcomers and what are some of the barriers to their involvement?

Join us if you can for a MCA Young Guide-led tour of Shaun Gladwell: Pacific Undertow at 5pm, and then hear from a panel of young people and youth arts workers about their experiences and advice on where organisations should start if they haven’t already.

Panel:
MCA Australia
• Lucy Achhorner (MCA Youth Committee and Young Guide)
• Em Lienert (MCA Youth Committee and Young Guide)

Australian Theatre for Young People
• Emily Buxton
• Daisy Millpark

Casula Powerhouse Art Centre
• Madelaine De Leon (CPAC Youth)
• Stephanie Nguy (Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre Youth)

Shopfront Arts Co-Op
• Carlee Heise (Young Leader)
• Daniel Potter (Executive Director/CEO, Shopfront Arts Co-Op)

Information Cultural Exchange
• Liliana Occhiuto (New Age Noise Collective)
• Jessica Paraha (New Age Noise Collective)

Sydney Living Museums
• Hayden Walsh (Producer of Indigenous Programs)

Presenter & Co-Producer
Jo Higgins (Young Creatives Coordinator, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2018 Churchill Fellow)

Moderator
Sophie Harrington, SAMAG Committee Member and Public Program Manager, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences

This seminar is a partnership between SAMAG and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

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I live and work on the unceded lands of the Gadigal and Bidjigal people and acknowledge their unbroken connection to this Country. I pay my deepest respects to their Elders, past and present, because this always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.