In this adapted extract from What’s the Big Idea? Louise Adler looks at the failure of Australian cultural leaders shying from risk and artistic vision – and letting the tail wag the dog
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All around the world, a succession of arts organisations across all sectors have come under pressure from artists – surely their first and most important stakeholders – to “take a stand” on a range of topical issues from the climate crisis to Israel’s war on Gaza. If artists engage with the issues of the day, what is the appropriate response of the boards and managers of arts organisations?
On Monday we saw the resignation of Kathy Shand, chair of the Sydney writers’ festival. Obviously individual board members, like donors, have every right to decide the values of an organisation do not align with their own.
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