Build Relationships Before Starting Work

Indigenous Cultural Protocols and the Arts

Case studies in multiple art forms of how arts organisations have implemented the landmark Creative Australia 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.

How To Co-Create: Practical Lessons From The Field

Co-creation can be misused, and the various risks that come with co-creation are explored in this guide. Alongside this are tips for using ethical methods that can help to reap the benefits of shared power and authorship. This guide warns against generic solutions, stating that local, societal factors must always be taken into account.

Partner Power

This 'Technique for Building More Authentic Community Partnerships Right from the Start' offers a model of consultation and collaboration used by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in the US to build an exhibition in collaboration with the community. Includes a video on conducting a meeting and worksheet with sample questions, using active listening and open-ended questions.

“It felt more equal...rather than appearing as though we were just trying to tick a box on community engagement.”

Gauging Readiness for Partnership

Designed for local US municipalities working with artists in general, this one-page checklist offers a good self-assessment on issues such as compromise, disruption to usual practices and equitable compensation.

"Use these questions to help gauge if you and your potential partner are ready to work together. Ask these early on in the process."

Mulatu Astatke at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Ethiopian muso Mulatu Astatke, the ‘father of Ethio-Jazz’, is a living legend with a huge global fan base. When the Melbourne International Jazz Festival invited Astatke to perform in 2016, it saw an opportunity to engage with Melbourne’s 7000-strong Ethiopian community. The strategy involved
* Research into the local Ethiopian community
* High-profile community allies
* Safe spaces for the community
* African media outreach
* Discount group tix

Collaboration with Greek-Australian communities

The British Museum’s controversial collections include the Parthenon Sculptures, or Marbles, taken in 1804 by Thomas Bruce (also known as Lord Elgin) from the Parthenon with the collusion of the Ottoman colonial rulers of Greece and the museum has refused to repatriate them.

When Canberra’s National Museum of Australia (NMA) planned to exhibit 170 Ancient Greek art works housed at the British Museum, they knew they needed the support of the Greek community in Australia. Here's how the did it.