Catrina Vignando, General Manager, Craft Australia attended the joint media release by Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan and Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr. Brendan Nelson announcing their portfolios will provide up to $250,000 in funding towards a national review of visual communication and visual arts, craft and design in Australian education institutions.

Today the Government made a much sought after announcement committing up to $250,000 to a national review of visual communication, visual art, craft and design education institutions. The review is a collarboration between the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) through the Australia Council for the Arts.

In June this year members of the National Visual Arts and Craft Network NVACN, met at Parliament House to lobby representatives from Government about the need for such a review. The group, coordinated by NAVA, submitted a paper outlining the urgency for research on the Australian education sector. Given the significant technological and economic changes that have profoundly effected all levels of education, the Art Education Group of NVACN argued that such a review was critical for securing future economic development.

By agreeing to fund this research both Dr Nelson and Senator Coonan have made a commitment to the importance of visual literacy across all sectors of education. NVACN believe that the review will have profound economic, social and sector benefits including fostering creativity as an economic driving force and educating producers and consumers of visual communication within a visually diverse and image saturated society.

As a member of NVACN, Craft Australia strongly endorses this announcement. This greatly needed research will spearhead a process to stabilise the growth of Australian visual culture through broad integration in all levels of education.

Catrina Vignando
General Manager, Craft Australia
12 August, 2004

Media releases

Joint press conference Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson and Minister for Communications, Information, Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan media releases