Arts Law and Desart release new podcast series

Each year Arts Law and partner law firms visit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centres across the country to deliver specialised legal advice and resources as part of its Artists in the Black program. These trips take us to some of the most remote parts of Australia and often take planes, trains and automobiles to get us to where we need to be. Remoteness and distance have always been familiar issues that art centre’s tackle everyday.

This year however, things have changed. Arts Law has been unable to visit art centres in person due to the COVID-19 crisis and bans on interstate travel. We have been challenged to come up with creative ways to continue to deliver vital services to remote art centres and the artists they work with.

In partnership with Desart, the peak body for Central Australian Aboriginal Art Centres, Arts Law has developed our first podcast! We have listened to Desart and art centre feedback to identify key legal issues that art centres have been facing during the current crisis. The result is this four part series that addresses some of the most common legal issues for art centres.

We have a podcast on copyright and moral rights. This is an interview between Arts Law lawyers, Suzanne Derry and Donna Robinson.  

The second podcast is on the increased promotion of works online whether on the art centre website, a digital exhibition by a gallery or on social media. We talk to Iris Bendor and Annieka Skinner about their experiences moving into this area in 2020 and Suzanne Derry in conversation with Donna Robinson sets out the issues to consider.

There are another two podcasts hosted by Donna Robinson on the legal steps associated with consigning art works to a gallery and increasing their protection by registering them on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). In these podcasts we hear of the experiences of two art centre managers, Annieka Skinner of Tjanpi Desert Weavers and Iris Bendor of Iltja Ntjarra as they set up the necessary documents and processes. We also interview Stephen Dodds, a lawyer from the law firm Dentons, who explains what’s involved in registration on the PPSR and the ramifications of registering and not registering. Dentons are assisting Arts Law clients on a pro bono basis in registering their consignments on the PPSR. 

These podcasts were prepared for Desart members but are relevant for all art centres and art centre employees and anyone who is interested in some of the legal matters art centre managers need to deal with as part of their daily work life.

You can find these podcasts on the Arts Law website and the Desart SAM database and they will be coming soon to iTunes and other distribution options.