Teen years are tough. At ArtsHub we saw ten years of troubling news unfold between 2010-2019 and also people asking us for help. As the sector got tougher some of our most popular articles were those looking at how to cope: finding wellness and calm or just finding better ways for artists and arts organisations to work.
10. Why your brain wants you knitting
Dating from 2016, this article was about how knit-one, pearl-one is actually good for your brain and can help you build up better social connections. Based on studies about the power of creativity, the article makes links between reducing mental health issues and crafting. Studies have found that ‘74% of people reported that knitting lessened their fears and kept them from ruminating about their eating disorders; and 53% said it provided satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.’
9. Should you discount tickets to fill empty seats?
A question many arts organisations still face. While nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd, are we devaluing performances by making them free? The solution, according to this story shared from International Arts Manager, is to look at intelligent discounting and offer add-ons like free drinks at interval rather than a flood of freebies. The article makes the case for membership offers and other great ways to get more bums on seats.
8. Department of Arts axed in government power play
It is disappointing that 2019’s only entry in the top ten had to be this one: the Federal Government playing semantics with our sector. Words are important – they signal where power looks and money flows – and with this article seeing such a large readership, it’s clear that words are important to our readers. ArtsHub is following this story closely and we will be following up what happens in 2020 and beyond.
7. How to be a socially engaged artist
Fittingly, our next entry reminds us to be engaged, to not be dispirited but to keep on being part of our society in all its beauty and ugliness. Author Sarah Ward argues, ‘A socially engaged piece of art doesn’t just disseminate your own perspective, but embodies the spirit of all involved. And, more than that, it ranges beyond simply preaching to the choir.’ Based on a session at the 2016 Australian Performing Arts Market, this article remains relevant; we’re all still facing this challenge.
6. 65 arts organisations lose funding from Australia Council
In May 2016 the impact of the Brandis funding cuts had begun to impact the arts as the Australia Council funded fewer organisations. Artshub followed this story as it happened, tracing who got funding and following up with comments from the then-Minister the Hon. Mitch Fifield.
We ran several stories campaigning for better funding, but we also found this note of hope from one of the companies mentioned in the original article. This year we followed up on Slingsby,the Adelaide theatre company who managed to not just survive but thrive after losing their funding.
5. Festivals: once the circus has left town
Festivals come and go in the calendar, giving a focus for the arts over a week or a month but what happens when they roll up their banners at the end of each year? Talking to festival directors in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and more, this story looked at how a great festival stays with you and has a legacy in the arts community that lasts well after the last curtain call.
As outgoing director of Brisbane Festival David Berthold told us, ‘‘A good arts festival earns an amnesty on fear. Audiences are much more willing to take a risk on the unknown during a good festival, whenever it’s with an international artist they’ve never heard of, or with a known or local artist or company doing something off the edge of comfort. It’s when we all agree to drop the barriers, just for a few weeks.’
4. Student loans cut to creative courses
Just as the sector was feeling the bite of funding cuts, the Turnbull Government dealt another blow, dropping funded support for 478 courses including art forms such as circus, screen acting, stained glass, art therapy and jewellery-making.
Then Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham defended the decision, saying, ‘Currently there are far too many courses that are being subsidised that are used simply to boost enrolments, or provide “lifestyle” choices, but don’t lead to work.’
3. Disturbing, not pleasing, should be art’s role
This article went to the heart of what great art should be. Attending the 2017 Australian Theatre Forum, Richard Watts reported on how even then there were alarm bells ringing about how the arts were being co-opted as propaganda.
Leading the charge was Belgian festival director and curator Frie Leysen who observed that ‘politicians understand creating fear is the most efficient weapon to keep us all under control’. It became a rallying cry for the sector as the article was shared around. As a New Year’s resolution for your practice or arts organisation, Leysen deserves the last word:
‘Often I hear organisers say “it is nice, but not for my audience”. Who is that audience? A monolithic block of people? And who are we to say what they want to see? Underestimating is an insult. Being demanding is a sign of respect.’
2. Why we are burning out in the arts
This is a story that regularly trends when the arts are hardest hit. In 2015 Madeleine Dore asked the question we all want an answer to, finding that working at what you love can lead to a damaging relationship. Today we all hear that it’s about practicing self care and knowing when to switch off, but this article has been timely for almost five years; a quiet reminder to look after yourself so you can keep creating.
1. 50 ways to take care of yourself in the arts
We couldn’t leave you burnt out so in November 2015 Dore followed up with this story, featuring 50 tips that still hold true. From not eating at your computer to being uncomfortable with uncertainty, Dore canvasses all the ways to help that still stand the test of time. And because people keep returning to this article, it has become a real junction box of links and connections to other content, including knowing when its time to quit your job and taking a digital detox. It continues to be a great resource on a continuing issue that we all face.
In 2020, ArtsHub turns 20 years old, leaving our own teen years behind. We’ve got some big plans on making the next decade more creative and creating more content for the sector. Sign up or renew your membership so you are with us for the next 10 or 20 years.
