Key Outcomes for Visual Arts
Session Eight
Training and Business Development
Helen Garnett spoke about the coming together of art, tourism and business and the importance this has in Indigenous communities. Universities were now delivering programs with communities, businesses and organisations so that the courses they provide are relevant. Education and training for Indigenous people in the Northern Territory cannot be applied as 'one size fits all'. Indigenous communities and institutions have different needs and views. Art/tourism business management courses as well as programs for governance training that are relevant to the style of governance needed at the local community level are key areas for development. A central issue was whether the delivery of education provides an outcome of employment. It was stated that expensive diploma courses resulted in a decline of student enrolment. The government provided fee exemptions to encourage students to participate in courses.
Kath Arbon's role at Charles Darwin University is to support the academic and social development of Indigenous students at both high school and tertiary levels. Kath acts as a mentor for students, provides information about courses, refers students to other support services and assists students in art classes. The pathways of students are critical to their development and learning. These pathways are impacted by the provision and removal of funding.
Ross Lindsay from the Northern Territory Department of Education, Employment and Training (DEET) spoke about a program that he manages where an officer will go out to a remotely located area and develop a training program based on the communities needs. There are non-accredited courses that provide the relevant skills without the certificate. Certified programs do not necessarily match the needs of the community.
Chris Lee believes that access to information is critical for people to develop themselves or projects. He runs government programs that involve someone talking to the people for their ideas and look at what communities identify as their need. As a result, communities are more active. A fundamental difference between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people was the concept of time. He described time in Aboriginal culture as being event-based. It was sometimes said that governments spend money to send people out to these remote communities while local people cannot find jobs. There was a general consensus that it was best to build on things from the bottom up, that if people of the community were engaged with developments/operations and have mechanisms for local governance, then new infrastructure will work. The pathways that communities take when new changes and developments occur are paramount for local people developing social and educational skills.