Creative Equity Toolkit

Black blood and white tears

MONA’s Dark Mofo festival provoked controversy when it put out a call for First Nations people to donate their blood for artist Santiago Sierra’s “anti-colonial” artwork. Daniel Browning interviews Tasmanian Aboriginal Heritage Officer, Fiona Hamilton, and they discuss culturally unconscious acts in the sector that banalise genocidal trauma and the importance of practices in institutions that meaningfully include First Peoples in issues that relate to them.

Book on black women musicians dumped after explosive claims author didn’t interview artists

The publication of “Deadly Woman Blues,” a book about Black women musicians authored by a white man without their consultation and fact-checking, raised issues around cultural protocols in publishing and music.

How did rock music get so white?

Professor of media studies at the University of Virginia and Slate music critic Jack Hamilton interviewed on how rock and roll changed from an inter-racial expression to the soundtrack of whiteness.

‘Pat Boone covering Little Richard is probably the most egregious example of this. “But he was able to get his music played on radio stations that wouldn't play the black originators of that music and he was someone who almost objectively made much worse versions of that than the originals.”’

Indigenous Cultural Protocols and the Arts

Case studies in multiple art forms of how arts organisations have implemented the landmark Australia Council of the Arts Indigenous Protocols, developed in 2002 to ensure Indigenous culture is used ethically and legally with appropriate consultation and consent, according to both Australian copyright law and Indigenous cultural protocols.

Includes question prompts for developing project methodology to ensure respect and consent when making art that draws on another community's culture.