Cultural Wellbeing Policy

All Access Arts policies relate to all Staff as well as Members.

Access Arts Inc. defines a Member as any person who has filled out a membership form to join the organisation.

Staff are defined as persons engaged in Office, workshop/project or program, Volunteer or Student placement work at Access Arts Inc.

Purpose:

To ensure all Access Arts programs and staff are responsive to the cultural wellbeing of communities with whom the organisation is working, in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities experiencing disability and disadvantage.

Aims:

Definitions:

Indigenous health is not just the physical wellbeing of an individual, but the social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of the whole community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being thereby bringing about the total wellbeing of their community.

National Aboriginal Community Health Organisations

Access Arts recognises cultural wellbeing as a means of working with an individual within their cultural context and as maintaining a cultural identity. Access Arts adopts the philosophy that creative or artistic expression, along with programs that encourage community and cultural identity are beneficial to overall wellbeing.

Policy:

1. All Access Arts office staff must undergo Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency training, and update their knowledge regularly.
2. All Access Arts project staff must undertake relevant cultural competency training when working with different cultural groups.
3. Access Arts recognises that each cultural and geographical group is unique and what works in one area won’t necessarily work in another.
4. The acknowledgement of Indigenous culture is a significant part of Access Arts’ philosophy and approach. Access Arts is committed to providing services and opportunities for the entire community.
5. Access Arts must engage with a cultural advisor from each multicultural or Indigenous group it wishes to work with.
6. Access Arts is committed to continuing to engage Aboriginal Elders to provide cultural advice on project and organisational issues. These Elders will be appropriately remunerated for their efforts.
7. Access Arts acknowledges that it must always have an appropriate introduction to Indigenous groups based on the community’s protocols.
8. Access Arts acknowledges that local knowledge is paramount to every aspect of working with all multicultural and geographical communities.
9. For every workshop, project and event, Access Arts ensures that culturally appropriate marketing information is developed to target Indigenous people and communities and that it is widely distributed.
10. Access Arts actively recruits Indigenous arts workers to undertake paid roles in the organisation.
11. As part of their employment, Indigenous staff are assisted in their professional skills development when needed.
12. Access Arts develops and delivers Indigenous and cross-cultural programs to:
    • Enhance social skills, life skills and work skills through creativity.
    • Encourage creative activities and develop creative engagement opportunities.
    • Develop career paths through community based practice.
    • Provide training for young and emerging artists to work effectively in the arts and disability area.

Partnerships:

1. Access Arts delivers Indigenous and cross-cultural projects based on partnerships, drawing on the strengths of partner organisations. This will enable the organisation to:
   • Establish contacts with and networks among Indigenous practitioners.
   • Develop and disseminate appropriate communications.
   • Effectively and appropriately connect communities, artists and participants/clients through intercultural awareness and communication.
2. Access Arts recognises the importance of dedicating the necessary time to establishing contact and ensuring a philosophical and organisational “match” with potential partners.
3. Access Arts is committed to the long term approach for collaborative programs with communities and to developing ongoing and sustainable relationships with partners.
4. Access Arts recognises the benefit of actively pursuing opportunities to add sustainable value to existing services and infrastructure, rather than just focusing on creating new programs for Indigenous and multicultural communities.
5. Access Arts is committed to actively supporting further funding and partnership opportunities to continue, expand and diversify programs to ensure they are ongoing and sustainable.

Cultural Wellbeing Procedure

• Office and project staff must ensure they discuss their cultural competency with their supervisor and make arrangements for the necessary professional development.
• Supervisors of office and project staff must ensure their employees are adequately supported to identify professional development needs and attend cultural competency training as needed.
• As a general rule, contact with Traditional Owners and Elders is the first step to jointly devising an approach and introduction specific to a particular geographical area.
• All Access Arts projects must engage an appropriate local community member on the ground to promote the project, gain more local knowledge and encourage community acceptance.
• Any work in a community requires a particular logistical approach such as establishing an introductory gathering at least 2 days ahead of a planned activity to remind everyone and arrange for the participants’ involvement.
• Access Arts staff must recognise that there are no short cuts to working with Indigenous Communities and time contingencies should be built in to every project.
• All public material encouraging the participation of Indigenous people and communities must first be approved by all parties involved (for more details please go to the Media Policy).

Complies with Queensland Disability Service Standards: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 
Update Responsibility: Joelene Scot
Date of last update: 20/01/2009

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