School of Culture & Communication Cultural Management

Cultural Management: Graduate and alumni profiles

Samantha Davies

Samantha Davies

Master of Arts Management

When Samantha Davies arrived in Melbourne from the UK in 2001 she had no idea then that four years down the track she would be working in policy and research at Arts Victoria. “The Master of Arts Management course introduced me to the Australian cultural landscape and exposed me to many facets of working in the arts which in turn provided me with a pathway to employment. One of the most important aspects of the course is the people; having the opportunity to meet and talk to those that work in the arts and develop policy or manage major events is invaluable and allowed me to develop relationships that are important to me now in my professional and personal life.”

Alex McCulloch

Alex McCulloch

Master of Art Curatorship

After successfully putting together dozens of exhibitions I decided I wanted to open my own gallery (McCulloch Gallery) and started the Master of Art Curatorship degree. This program offers a means of understanding not only the history of art in Australia, but also new directions and the political, economic, social and aesthetic contexts relevant to this field. The thesis I am working on deals with the Australian art market. My coursework subjects have enabled me to understand issues related to running a gallery within today's market and within current economic and political imperatives. The Art Curatorship internship is a great opportunity to test my theoretical ideas in the workplace.

2006 Profile

Kirsten Paisley (nee Lacy)

Master of Art Curatorship

Director, Shepparton Art Gallery

I came to the Master of Art Curatorship course with a tentative idea that I wanted to be a curator and any even more tentative idea of what a curator actually did. At first I wasn't accepted, sent away to either do an Honours year or build up my industry experience. I spent a year working in the industry as a gallery assistant and was eventually acepted into the program. My Bachelors degree was in Fine Art, making the theory and writing component of the course a real challenge at first. I studied part time and made sure that I was active and working in the arts industry the rest of my time; volunteering, working in private galleries, artist run spaces and trying to get my own projects off the ground.

I absoutely would not have been able to break into the arts industry without the University of Melbourne's Master of Art Curatorship and all that I learnt about the history and philosophy of Museums, Australian art, curatorship, conservation and so forth. However I also wouldn't have been able to achieve what I have without actively working in the industry throughout my studies.

One of the essential parts of the degree for me was the Internship project. While I had work in a commercical gallery at the time, I chose to take the opportunity to really learn from curators that I respected and admired and this helped me enormously get my first job in a public institution.

While the course enabled me to get a foot up in my career, perhaps more importantly, the ethics of professional practise and standards taught to me by the University, now forms the backbone of my working life.

Rupert Sherwood

Rupert Sherwood

Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Management

Philanthropy Manager, Melbourne Theatre Company

Rupert had been working at Melbourne Theatre Company in a support role for a year when he decided to do further study to broaden his knowledge of Arts Management. In 2005 Rupert graduated from the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Management, and says of his experience, “The course not only provided me with a greater insight into the many aspects of managing arts organisations, but also gave me the confidence and drive to move forward in my career”. Having been taught the skills needed to handle greater responsibilities, Rupert now manages the philanthropy department within the MTC.

Elly Smart

Master of Arts (Cinema Management)

Distribution Manager, Sharmill Films

In 2004 I completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Cultural Studies. After working for a period of time in several different jobs I realised that I needed something 'more'. Thus, in 2006, I returned to University to undertake a one year Master of Arts (Cinema Management). Best decision ever! The course offered me everything that I was seeking: practical experience combined with indepth industry knowledge.

Having the opportunity to meet and learn from key figures in the industry through the incorporation of guest speakers really stood out for me as a major highlight of the course. I also found the Internship a fantastic stepping stone from which I could further develop my individual interests within the industry. Placed at the Melbourne International Film Festival I not only got to be involved behind the scenes of this major Festival but I also was offered an ongoing intern position. This experience greatly helped me to network within the industry and successfully secure a full-time paid position post-graduation.

Damian Smith

Master of Art Curatorship

"The University of Melbourne's MA Curatorship course is the perfect program for anyone looking to develop a career in the curatorial and art gallery arena. It offers grounding in the broad range of skills required to work in this competitive and exciting field. Study undertaken enabled me to work in a range of situations, from being employed as the archivist for the Sidney Nolan estate in Wales to touring exhibitions of contemporary Australian art in China and Italy.

After graduating from the course my masters thesis formed the basis of an exhibition 'Unmasked: Sidney Nolan and Ned Kelly 1950 - 1990', at Heide Museum of Modern Art."

Damian Smith is currently employed as Curator of the Maroondah Art Gallery and is Vice President of the Public Galleries Association of Victoria.

Lauren Williams

Master of Arts (Cinema Management)

Curator, Australian Screen Online project at the National Film and Sound Archive

In the MA course, I focused on a broad range subjects which encompassed both the moving image and other related art forms with a view to developing an appreciation of visual culture management in a community and human rights context. Through this, I investigated the social impact of the arts; the importance of cultural heritage and visual culture; and community cultural development projects.

The unique industry placement provided me with on-the-ground experience in community arts work with marginalised communities and gave me a supportive environment in which to explore some of my own ideas and intentions. This included a spontaneous participatory video project.

My minor thesis also continued this theme and explored the valuable contribution that participatory arts projects can bring to building peace and promoting sustainable development in communities impacted by conflict and trauma.

I believe fostering a culturally rich and creative environment can inspire individuals and create positive outcomes for the communities involved. Whether it is working with screen culture, photography or performance - building networks between creative, cultural and social welfare/human rights organisations can strengthen the social fabric, identify community needs and sometimes even impact on policy.

In the future, I hope to continue exploring the many ways that arts and visual culture practice can be applied to contexts outside of the 'conventional' creative industries, and the contribution that this work can have in facilitating individual and community empowerment.

Other Art Curatorship alumni

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