More on Salamanca Arts Centre: The nomination of Maddie and Ron

Report on Salamanca Arts Centre Inc. (SAC) Executive Committee for the Strategic Governance Committee meeting to be held on Tuesday 6 October 2009.

I note Aldermen have been invited to submit a report on outside committees upon which they sit and represent the HCC for the October Strategic Governance meeting. My report as a Board member of Salamanca Arts Centre is as follows:

Salamanca Arts Centre’s 2009 AGM was held on 27 May 2009, the first for the organisation as a Company.

On 22 September 2008 the membership of Salamanca Arts Centre Incorporated adopted a new constitution to become a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. I am now a director, nominated as Council’s representative and that nomination will continue for future representatives of Council. ASIC confirmed SAC’s new status in April 2009 and the first Company AGM followed a month later. This marks a new stage for SAC, which is well recognised as a mature established arts institution contributing to the cultural and economic life of Hobart and Tasmania.

The key SAC constitutional changes are that the State Government now nominates two members to the Board. The Minister responsible for Crown Lands nominated Ron Gifford, and the Minister for the Arts nominated Madeleine Ogilvie (On Tasmanian Times: HERE). Hobart City Council nominates one member. There are three Company board members elected by the SAC membership, Justice Alan Blow, Daniel Rands and David Laskey.

Three members are then co-opted on the basis of skills required, currently Lisa Free, Lesley Graham and Bill Hart. Ron Gifford was nominated as the Chairman by the Board. The incoming Board is working with SAC’s Strategic Plan (2008 – 2012), prioritising buildings upgrade, arts and creative industries development, increased national and international engagement, and further development of partnerships with other arts organisations and the private sector. SAC’s 2008 Annual Report outlines SAC’s considerable achievements for these priorities.

In 2008 and into 2009 the building’s development focus was on the completion of the lift and the re-development of several key internal spaces. The lift has been operational for several months and has now been formally launched. After many years, disability access to the LongGallery, Sidespace, Top Gallery and the Studio Gallery finally exists.

On 28 May 2009, the night following the AGM, 23 stakeholders contributed to a ‘discovery’ session, led by facilitator Tess Dryza, to inform SAC’s future directions for buildings, facilities and organisational activities. Representatives from SAC’s Board, employees, and tenants (gallery operators, musicians, visual arts, jeweller, industry development and youth arts), Hobart City Council, Moonah Arts Centre, arts festivals, architecture, and design contributed to discussions and ideas as they envisaged future opportunities.

In her summary of the outcomes of the session, Tess Dryza noted that ‘people seek many different types of experiences from SAC, but there appears to be a common theme around life enrichment and transformation’. She noted that SAC’s challenge is to find the ‘balance around what is enriching for the individual business operator or artist, and what is considered as a valuable experience for the arts consumer or participant’, then address the buildings and programs development accordingly.

SAC’s first step regarding (building) development has been to seek building upgrade funds by applying to the Federal Jobs Fund Heritage program.
Alderman Elise Archer
HCC representative on SAC Board

The key SAC constitutional changes are that the State Government now nominates two members to the Board. The Minister responsible for Crown Lands nominated Ron Gifford, and the Minister for the Arts nominated Madeleine Ogilvie.

Report on Salamanca Arts Centre Inc. (SAC) Executive Committee for the Strategic Governance Committee meeting to be held on Tuesday 6 October
2009

I note Aldermen have been invited to submit a report on outside committees upon which they sit and represent the HCC for the October Strategic Governance meeting. My report as a Board member of Salamanca Arts Centre is as
follows:

Salamanca Arts Centre’s 2009 AGM was held on 27 May 2009, the first for the organisation as a Company.

On 22 September 2008 the membership of Salamanca Arts Centre Incorporated adopted a new constitution to become a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. I am now a director, nominated as Council’s representative and that nomination will continue for future representatives of Council. ASIC confirmed SAC’s new status in April
2009 and the first
Company AGM followed a month later. This marks a new stage for SAC, which is well recognised as a mature established arts institution contributing to the cultural and economic life of Hobart and Tasmania.

The key SAC constitutional changes are that the State Government now nominates two members to the Board. The Minister responsible for Crown Lands nominated Ron Gifford, and the Minister for the Arts nominated Madeleine Ogilvie. Hobart City Council nominates one member. There are three Company board members elected by the SAC membership, Justice Alan Blow, Daniel Rands and David Laskey. Three members are then co-opted on the basis of skills required, currently Lisa Free, Lesley Graham and Bill Hart. Ron Gifford was nominated as the Chairman by the Board.

The incoming Board is working with SAC’s Strategic Plan (2008 – 2012), prioritising buildings upgrade, arts and creative industries development, increased national and international engagement, and further development of partnerships with other arts organisations and the private sector. SAC’s 2008 Annual Report outlines SAC’s considerable achievements for these priorities.