Our Art, Our Place, Our Way: Sustainable Practice: Life-long and Life-wide learning at Keringke Arts and the challenge of matching arts centre business and cultures to Vocational Education and Training

Abstract

This paper attempts to provide a realistic summary of influences and impacts that holistically affect Keringke Arts Aboriginal Corporation, and the ways these shape and define the art centre and its core business.  The authoring of the paper combines the voices of arts workers, artists and mangers. Sometimes it directly quotes conversations from arts workers, and these paragraphs are in bold text. When we reflect on changes introduced in 2007, the narrative is collective, as these are things discussed and talked over many times at Keringke. The collective voice represents my perspective, as program manager and also comes directly from my co-workers. I’ve tried to retain the separate voices because it would be a disservice to pretend that the story of the art centre, or the outcomes of programs, resources and projects belong to any one voice.  One art centre, many voices!