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Arts Tasmania

Roving Curators 2021

The Roving Curator program gives museums, galleries and collections access to Arts Tasmania’s museum professionals for up to 25 days in the year.

The Roving Curators are a team of skilled and knowledgeable museum and cultural heritage professionals based in Launceston.

A delegate of the Minister for the Arts has approved 11 organisations for support with 105 days of Roving Curator time in this round.

Funding recommendations were made by expert peers drawn from the Cultural and Creative Industries Expert Register.

Roving Curator time

Central Coast Council – 18 days towards collection management and forward planning for the Ulverstone Museum and Art Gallery.

Circular Head Heritage Centre Inc. – 18 days towards collection management and forward planning.

Derwent Valley Railway Preservation Society – 1 day towards an interpretation project and cataloguing archives.

Devonport City Council – 15 days towards a touring joint exhibition project for the Bass Strait Maritime Centre with seven other participating museums.

Huon Valley Council – 6 days towards content development for an interpretation guide for the Vin Smith Collection.

Latrobe Council – 5 days towards production of an interpretative guide for the Australian Axeman’s Hall of Fame.

Launceston Tramway Museum Society Inc. – 9 days towards stage one of a Significance Assessment.

National Trust of Australia (Tasmania) – 18 days towards collection management and forward planning for the Mt Lyell Mine Manager’s Complex.

Tasmanian Aviation Historical Society Inc. – 5 days towards development of an exhibition design brief for a joint project with the Furneaux Museum celebrating pioneer aviation in Bass Strait.

The Trustee for the Trustees of the Diocese of Tasmania – 3 days towards an exhibition project for the St Johns Church Historical Collection.

Wildcare Incorporated – 7 days towards development of interpretation panels for a heritage mining trail as an extension to the information in the Deny King Heritage Museum in Melaleuca.

Feedback from the experts peers

The peers gave the following feedback to help current and future applicants:

  • The peers strongly encouraged applicants contact Arts Tasmania staff before making an application for funding to ensure that the activity is a good fit for the program.
  • Applicants were encouraged to directly address the assessment criteria through simple paragraphs and dot points.
  • The peers were excited by applications that were authentic and genuine, and explored new ideas in the cultural heritage context.
  • Stronger applications included:
    • a short, simple and clear description of the proposed activity
    • evidence of planning such as a timeline that clearly outlined when and how activities would be delivered, and the resources required
    • showed evidence of future planning and spoke to how the proposed activity would contribute to the organisation’s longer-term objectives.
  • Letters of support (addressed to Arts Tasmania, clearly signed and dated) can greatly strengthen an application.
  • Activities that are aimed at specific community groups or demographics should include plans for consultation or engagement with these groups, and letters of support speaking to demand for the activities and the potential benefits.
  • Applicants were strongly encouraged to include a First Nations engagement plan or Reconciliation Action Plan.
  • Applicants seeking support towards activities in a specific space or venue were encouraged to include a Disability Action Plan or documents speaking to the accessibility of the space.
  • The peers encouraged both successful and unsuccessful applicants to seek peer feedback on previous applications before submitting to future rounds.

Peer assessors

The following peers assessed in the October 2021 round (incorporating Artsbridge, Cultural Heritage Organisations 2022-23, Cultural Heritage Organisations (multi-year) 2022-23, Low-interest loans, Roving Curators, Tasmanian Residencies, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Arts Mentoring Scheme and the FIND Contemporary Jewellery Collective Bursary):

  • Belinda Cotton
  • Christine Gallagher
  • Jeff Michel
  • Joel Fenton
  • Luana Towney
  • Malcolm Bywaters
  • Michelle Maynard
  • Natasha Parker
  • Stephen Salt
  • Warren Mason

Arts Tasmania carefully manages actual and perceived conflicts of interest for both staff members and peers involved in the assessment process.

More information on the management of conflicts of interest