Location: Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne
Date: 30 October 2019
This year DDCA’s event focused on its leadership interests, inviting leaders in tertiary arts from across its membership in Australia to join for a day of discussion and debate on the topics of graduate employability and research measurement and assessment.
After an eloquent welcome to country by venue host Professor Jon Cattapan, and an introduction to the day ahead by DDCA President Professor Clive Barstow, discussion of the key topics began in earnest. Each topic was opened by presentations by two experts in the field, followed by a round table discussion of the issues.
Morning Discussion: Teaching and its relationship to the changing face of employment and employability of our future graduates
- Professor Dawn Bennett began the morning discussion with a presentation about Employability for creative arts graduates, sharing data that challenges the traditional government definition of ‘success’ in employability stakes. DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
- Professor Russell Tytler then highlighted some of the key findings from the recent Jobs for the Future project conducted by the Ford Foundation, Deakin and Griffith Universities showing promising future opportunities for creative arts graduates. DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
Annual General Meeting
DDCA’s AGM was held just before lunch and part of the agenda in reporting on AGM matters was the election of a new board member to replace Professor Julian Goddard, who did not restand. The new Board member is Associate Professor Kim Cunio, Head of the School of Music, Australian National University.
Afternoon Discussion: Research measurement and assessment, particularly in relation to the ERA and ARC funding
- Professor Ross Woodrow, Griffith University, opened this discussion with a presentation highlighting the particular issues related to scale and scope when measuring and assessing creative arts research. DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
- Professor Paul Gough, RMIT, then turned to the topic of creative arts research in ‘the Impact and Engagement Environment’ sharing lessons learned from this pilot exercise. DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
DDCA Priorities
The final session of the day focused on identifying the possibilities and priorities that members would like to see DDCA carry forward on their behalf. In addition to those identified at the forum, delegates have also been invited to send their thoughts and ideas by email. The outcome of this discussion will shape the next 12 – 24 months for DDCA and will be shared with our broader community in early 2020.
After the Forum wrapped up, Professor John Cattapan, VCA Director and Professor Richard Kurth, the new Director of Melbourne Conservatorium, invited attendees to join them for a tour around the new Visual Arts and Conservatorium facilities
Presentations
Copies of speakers presentations are available below: