Issue Date:  -  Tuesday, 14 September 2004

Artists in the black - Free legal seminars for indigenous artists and creators

Indigenous artists and creative people have access to an innovative and powerful educational workshop on Intellectual Property (IP), thanks to the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and the Arts Law Centre of Australia.

Artists in the Black has been funded by the two agencies to bring an understanding of copyright and other issues to Indigenous artists and creators who number more than 6,000 around Australia.

“Meeting legal obligations whilst running any small business can be a big challenge and this opportunity for artists and creative people with dispel some of the myths and concerns”, Consumer Protection Commissioner Patrick Walker said.

“Indigenous art plays a very important role financially and culturally for indigenous communities and Artists in the Black will provide some great resources for artists and creative organisations.

“Indigenous artists like anyone else are entitled to benefit from their talents and have their valuable cultural heritage recognised without being ripped off. Artists in the Black is an important step in this direction.

“They work long and hard and often have little opportunity to find out about the many important legal aspects that relate to their work”, he said.

Artists in the Black will cover:

 - Copyright and moral rights
 - Licensing and exploitation of Intellectual Property (IP)
 - Indigenous IP
 - Entering into contracts
 - Money and the law (tax, GST and money owed to artist)
 - Artists and CDEP (work for the dole) projects
 - Art, wills and other estate planning issues
 - Indigenous artists and festivals
 - Business structure for Indigenous artists and organisations

Facilitators will use expertise and materials that ensure the content is useful to a wide range of Indigenous people.

Two-hour workshops have already commenced in Geraldton and will also be held in Kalgoorlie (15th September), Roebourne (21st September), Port Hedland (22nd September) and the Perth metropolitan area.