Cultural Value in the Regions symposium
OCTOBER 19 2018
Researchers from across Tasmania and Melbourne will gather at the University of Tasmania’s Inveresk campus this month for the first-ever Cultural Value in the Regions symposium.
University of Tasmania professor Dr Kim Lehman, who is co-organising the event, said the symposium would dig deep into quantifying the value of arts and culture in the region.
“We’re trying to, first of all, bring out the researchers in Launceston and the North who are working in the arts and culture sector,” he said.
“So it’s not just arts people, it’s also people in sociology who are looking at the value of art and the effect of artists, it’s people in economics who might be looking at the economic impact of having Mona Foma come to Launceston with accommodation and hospitality and so on, it’s education, it’s health - where art is shown to have a positive impact on wellbeing – and so on.
“It’s gathering together all of these people in the North and putting them in the same room with some organisations which might be able to collaborate with them.”
The symposium will be held over two days.
Proceedings commence Tuesday October 30 with an opening address from Tracy Puklowski, the recently appointed director of creative arts and cultural services with the City of Launceston.
After that, day one consists of 12 researchers presenting their work in short, snappy 15-minute sessions. Speakers and attendees can then let their hair down with a cocktails and networking evening.
Ms Puklowski said that arts, culture and heritage had a powerful role to play in defining and transforming cities, and in helping to deliver social, cultural and economic outcomes for communities.
“Some of these outcomes are well understood, but many more need further research to give us a full appreciation of the impact we can have,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to some great discussions, which are highly relevant for Launceston right now.”
The session on Wednesday October 31 will open with keynote speaker Professor Ian Fillis, a professor of entrepreneurship at the Liverpool Business School in the United Kingdom.
There will be then be two panels: Theory perspectives - what is cultural value? and Implications for practice – research/industry connections.
Presenting researchers mostly come from the University of Tasmania, Melbourne’s RMIT, or northern Tasmanian business and arts specialists. For example, Natalie De Vito, the former director of Junction Arts Festival, will chair a panel.
Economist Dr Maria Yanotti, who is also a co-organiser, said she hopes the event is well-attended by industry.
“We really hope that people in the community engage because it’s not only a university researchers event, we hope to broaden the conversation,” she said.
“We want a place for researchers and industry to sit down and talk about cultural value. There are a lot of projects coming up, particularly in the north of the state, and those projects have to be valued, and not only in economic terms.”
The Cultural Value in the Regions symposium is free to attend, registration online through www.events.utas.edu.au/2018/october/cultural-value-in-the-regions-symposium.
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