Latest news with #artssector
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Creative Australia will face pressure to make ‘safe' artistic choices after Sabsabi controversy, industry figures warn
Industry figures are concerned that Creative Australia could face increased pressure to make 'safe' artistic choices after the Sabsabi review, with critics warning that a corporate-style risk framework could stifle creativity and marginalise divergent voices. The fallout over Creative Australia's decision to rescind Khaled Sabsabi's commission as the 2026 Venice Biennale representative and subsequent mea culpa has sent shock waves through the arts sector, with some now calling for structural reform and a renewed commitment to artistic independence. The Blackhall & Pearl report, released on Wednesday, found there had been 'a series of missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities that meant neither the leadership of Creative Australia, nor the board, were well placed to respond to, and manage in a considered way, any criticism or controversy that might emerge in relation to the selection decision'. However, the report did not identify a failure of process, governance or decision on the part of the Creative Australia board. The first of nine recommendations made in the report is that the federal government's principal arts funding body 'develop a clearly documented risk identification policy and procedure for the Venice Biennale selection process' in the future. While framed as a governance measure, some arts practitioners and academics expressed fears it could shift the organisation's priorities. 'It's not clear from the review whether they're recommending [that Creative Australia] select the best artist and then assess risk, or assess risk first and then select the artist,' said one senior arts figure, who requested anonymity. 'And that distinction is critical. Get it wrong, and you'll end up with a risk-averse, weakened cultural landscape. 'The concern in the sector now is that risk will come first. That means cutting artists before they're even considered – just because they may have contentious work or political associations. That compromises the entire selection process. You end up avoiding the best work because you're afraid of a media backlash.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Another former arts adviser to the federal government said the report's over-emphasis on risk management was 'very worrying'. 'They seem to be asking for prejudgment of whether there could be controversy,' the source said. The Lebanese Australian artist and his curator, Michael Dagostino, were announced as Australia's representatives in February – a decision that was widely praised before the pair were decommissioned just six days later. Sabsabi himself admitted to being shocked at being chosen, telling the Guardian in February: 'I felt that, in this time and in this space, this wouldn't happen because of who I am.' Responding in April to the furore over his back catalogue, Sabsabi said the artworks had been taken out of context by journalists and politicians. Sabsabi said he does 'not support or endorse any form of terrorism or racism or antisemitism or Islamophobia'. Prof Jo Caust, a principal fellow at the University of Melbourne's School of Culture and Communication, said the Blackhall & Pearl recommendation on risk management fundamentally misunderstood the nature of the arts and the people who work within the sector. 'If you put in a big risk assessment process like they're suggesting, it could prevent many things from happening. The arts are all about taking risks. It's contradictory. 'What we've all been dealing with for more than a decade now is the corporatisation of the arts. If you put corporate people in decision-making roles, you'll get corporate decisions – and that's not the same as cultural leadership.' Caust pointed to the comments made in parliament by the Liberal senator Claire Chandler – who in question time accused Sabsabi of supporting a terrorist leader in his artwork – and the subsequent media campaign in The Australian that preceded the Creative Australia board rescinding the commission. 'If you're bending over to please the extreme positions within the right, then you're going to end up with a very difficult and narrow cultural space,' she said. 'And yes, that could mean artists from Arab backgrounds or others seen as 'risky' simply don't get a look in. 'It reflects fear. And what they should be doing is making fearless decisions,' she said. 'That's what cultural leadership is supposed to be.' Dr Samuel Cairnduff, a lecturer in arts and cultural management at the University of Melbourne, warned that a 'corporate-style' approach to risk management could undermine the very purpose of Creative Australia. 'Risk management is an important managerial function,' he said. 'But if that means only making 'safe choices' in future, then I think we've really misunderstood the function of an organisation like Creative Australia. 'Sabsabi was never going to be a safe choice, but people were impressed they made it.' Cairnduff cautioned against imposing a rigid, corporate-style framework on a body whose role is to champion cultural expression and public discourse. 'There's an element of risk in any kind of creative practice, and that's what we have to embrace,' he said. 'An overly managerial approach doesn't properly account for the complexity of the cultural sector.' Posting on Instagram, Max Delany, the former director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, said that in stark contrast to the federal court's recent ruling in favour of Antoinette Lattouf against the ABC, the Blackhall & Pearl report left unscrutinised several underlying l issues. 'Chief among these is the pernicious, vexatious, and corrosive influence of lobbyists, conservative media, and culture warriors on our public discourse and on the integrity of our cultural institutions – forces that remain largely unexamined in its findings,' he said. The acting chair of Creative Australia, Wesley Enoch, and the chief executive, Adrian Collette, declined to comment.
ABC News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Creative Australia head apologises for 'hurt and pain' amid Khaled Sabsabi reinstatement for Venice Biennale
The acting chair of Australia's arts funding body, Creative Australia, has publicly apologised to artist Khaled Sabsabi for his controversial dumping as Australia's representative at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The renowned Lebanese Australian artist and curator Michael Dagostino were reinstated on Wednesday to their representative role almost six months after they were removed by the board. In February, Sabsabi's commission for the prestigious art event was announced but, less than a week later, he and Dagostino had their invitation rescinded, with Creative Australia's board citing fears of a "prolonged and divisive debate". On Thursday, Creative Australia acting chair Wesley Enoch said he wanted to publicly apologise for the incident, acknowledging there were a series of "missteps, assumptions and misunderstandings" in the board's call. "I want to apologise to them for the hurt and pain they've gone through in this process," he told Radio National Breakfast. "Though we will be stronger as a sector because of it, I know it's come at a personal cost, not just to them, but also to a whole range of people in the arts sector." Sabsabi — who was selected for the Biennale on the recommendation of an expert panel — was dropped after questions were raised in Question Time in February. They explicitly called out his previous works, including a 2006 work depicting the 9/11 attacks and another from 2007 showing the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah with beams of light coming from his eyes. Enoch told Radio National an independent review had found that not one person or process was responsible for the controversial dumping but rather a " whole contextual issue". "I'm very proud of the board in many ways because the rigour in which we undertook this was not easy," he said, adding that the board had interrogated its decision-making. "I think it takes a very big heart to go 'we will engage in the process with integrity and thoughtfulness and move forward' and that's what we've done." Following Sabsabi's removal, resignations quickly followed, including board member Lindy Lee and staff in the visual arts department at Creative Australia. Lee told The Radio National Hour that the board acted on a "misunderstanding about that work in the beginning". Asked about this, Enoch said the arts sector had rapidly evolved over the last two years. "Some of these issues are coming up at such a rapid pace that the systems that were relevant to us even two years ago are no longer fit for purpose," he said. "We as a sector have to be engaged in a much more rigorous kind of conversation around the messaging, the risk assessments, and how we go forward." On Wednesday, Sabsabi and Dagostino said they were pleased by the reinstatement. "This decision has renewed our confidence in Creative Australia and in the integrity of its selection process," they said in a joint statement. "It offers a sense of resolution and allows us to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant personal and collective hardship. The external review found "no single or predominant failure of process, governance or decision-making that resulted, ultimately, in the decision to rescind the selection of the artistic team", but instead "a series of missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities". Creative Australia has accepted all the recommendations of the review. Shadow Minister for the Arts Julian Leeser told Radio National the reinstatement was the "wrong decision" by Creative Australia. "A representative for Australia on the world stage should reflect our values," he said. "To reinstate this artist as our representative at the Biennale and to give them taxpayer funds flies in the face of those faces." Speaking on ABC TV's Afternoon Briefing, Arts Minister Tony Burke said he applauded Creative Australia for reconsidering its decision. "The Creative Australia board have done what a lot of boards often don't want to do [by reviewing their decision]."
Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Artists ‘terrified to speak freely about Gaza and gender issues'
Artists are terrified to speak freely about Gaza and gender issues, a free speech study has found. The campaign group Freedom in Arts claims there has been a steep decline in artistic freedom over the past five years. A large majority of artists, 78 per cent, would not 'dare own up to Right-of-centre political opinions', according to a survey of British arts professionals. The study found that within the arts sector, the 'left' and 'woke' stance is considered good, while the 'Right' or 'anti-woke' stance is considered bad. Arts organisations are 'oppressively politicised' with a 'very one-sided view of social issues [that] stifles debate, humour and nuance in the arts', the survey respondents claimed. Artists prefer to self-censor rather than risk their livelihoods, stifling the expression of dissenting opinions on gender ideology, Palestine, racial politics, and immigration, the study found. 'Support for Brexit = instant leprosy' It cites the cases of Graham Linehan, creator of Father Ted, who was ostracised from the TV industry for his gender-critical views, and Helen Joyce, a gender-critical author who was shunned by literary festivals, as examples of those who have paid the price for speaking out. A majority 84 per cent of respondents said they never or rarely felt free to express their opinions openly in the arts sector. Opinions on transgender issues were identified by artists as the most risky, with many noting that disagreeing with comments like 'trans women are women' could be 'career-ending'. Being sceptical of 'anti-racism' practices, critical race theory, or diversity quotas was also raised as a career risk. Similarly, any support for tighter border controls or Brexit as a political project risked censure within the arts, with one respondent stating that 'Support for Brexit = instant leprosy in my field'. Surveyed artists said they preferred to stay silent rather than speak freely. The situation has worsened since 2020, when less than 20 per cent of served arts professionals feared voicing their opinions. 'Some beginning to resist ideological conformity' Now 80 per cent fear speaking freely, and 74 per cent say they felt pressure from their colleagues to conform ideologically. Instead, arts professionals 'keep their head down' to avoid any repercussions, the Freedom In Arts (FITA) survey found. Rosie Kay, co-founder of FITA. said: 'Artists are being forced into silence, not because they lack creativity, but because they fear professional repercussions. 'This report gives voice to those who have been marginalised, punished, and isolated for simply expressing their views.' While there is a culture of fear, some are beginning to resist ideological conformity in the sector, with 75 or respondents making concrete suggestions for reform to ensure free speech in the arts. Denise Fahmy, a co-founder of FITA, said: 'Change is possible, but it requires a concerted commitment to freedom of expression from artists, cultural leaders, and policymakers to create an environment where diverse viewpoints can thrive without fear of reprisal.'
