Getting up to speed
Friday 14 June 2013, 8:00AM - 5:15PM
A series of legal workshops for artists and arts organisations. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided
Registration 8.00am
Session 1
8.30am – 10.00am
“If you really want to make it as an artist, you’ll do it for free” – Employment issues in the arts 
As an artist or creator, how many times have you been asked to work for free or for mates’ rates? We guess your answer will be “heaps!” In this session, representatives from Arts Access Victoria, Media and Entertainment Arts Alliance and DLA Piper will discuss the apparent divide between employment laws and working in the Arts, and what you should do to protect yourself from unethical and unlawful treatment.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Nick Ruskin, Partner, Employment Team, DLA Piper. Sue McCreadie, National Director, Equity, Media Entertainment Arts Alliance. Fiona Cook, Arts Development Manager, Arts Access Victoria.
Session 2
10.15am – 11.30am
Is your gallery in trouble? Why artists should register their works under the Personal Property Security Act
If your art dealer goes under, where does that leave you? The works you consigned for sale are at risk of being sold to pay off the art dealer’s debts unless you’ve registered under the Personal Property Security Act. Join Joel Cox from DLA Piper and Anika Valenti from Arts Law to discuss the new national rules which help protect artists’ interests over personal property, including their artworks and why it’s important for artists to register their works.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Anika Valenti, Solicitor, Arts Law Centre of Australia. Joel Cox, Senior Associate, Corporate Team, DLA Piper.
Session 3
10.15am – 11.30am
The nuts and bolts of governance in the not-for-profit sector
Most arts organisations are non-profits running on love and the smell of an oily rag. But they still have to meet certain standards of governance and meet regular reporting obligations. This session will cover recent and planned Federal Government reforms to the Not-for-profit Sector. Panellists will discuss how the establishment of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission in late 2012 has changed the way not-for-profit organisations are to be governed in the future, including application for “charitable” status and Commonwealth tax concessions.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Delwyn Everard, Deputy Director, Arts Law Centre of Australia. Kate Fazio, Manager – Legal Information, PilchConnect. Lisa Difford, Senior Manager – Registration, Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission.
Session 4
11.45am – 1.15pm
Crowdfunding – fuelling your dream project
The concept of crowdfunding has exploded in recent years. So, how does it work? How do you connect to an online community to raise money for new ventures? Join Matt Weston of Syndicate Films who raised nearly $50,000 online to fund his recent documentary, Helen Marcou of SLAM, Judy Buchan from Creative Partnerships Australia and entertainment lawyer David Vodicka to discuss the ins and outs of getting your dream project going through your online fan base.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: David Vodicka, Partner, Media Arts Lawyers. Helen Marcou, Co-Founder, SLAM. Matt Weston, Filmmaker and Musician, Syndicate Films. Judy Buchan, Director Philanthropy – Victoria, Creative Partnerships Australia.
Lunch 1.15pm – 2.00pm
Session 5
2.00pm – 3.30pm
Click ‘Yes’ to proceed – publishing and distributing your work online
The internet has endless possibilities as a global marketplace reaching audiences around the world without leaving your seat! Everyone wants the work that went viral on the internet and brought fame and fortune (think Fifty Shades of Grey!) There are a proliferation of online music and literary publishing and distribution businesses begging you to sign up and promising the world! But what do you agree to when you have an online publisher or distributer promote your work? This session will discuss the risks, rewards and what to look out for in the fine print when considering publishing or distributing your work through online mediums.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Delwyn Everard, Deputy Director, Arts Law Centre of Australia. Andrew Fuller, Andrew Fuller Arts & Entertainment Lawyers. Emmett Stinson, Lecturer, Publishing and Communications, School of Culture and Communication, University of Melbourne.
Session 6
3.45pm – 5.15pm
Prizes and competitions – the good, the bad and the ugly!
Prizes and competitions are a great way to get your work seen and promote your talent, right? Absolutely! But creators need to stop and consider what they are agreeing to in exchange for the chance of winning a prize when they fill in the application form. Arts Law have successfully lobbied several major competitions to change the terms to make them fairer – come and listen to the success stories – and the horror stories! The panel will discuss what to look out for.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Anika Valenti, Solicitor, Arts Law Centre of Australia. Matt Richards, Filmmaker, Four Anchor Island. Kirsty Rivers, National Manager Writers Services, APRA. Arna Singleton, Hip Hop Dancer, Choreographer and Event Organiser. Additional speakers to be confirmed
Please contact Arts Law with any enquiries
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Bookings are required for all events. As places are limited, we advise booking at least one week prior to event start date. Bookings are confirmed upon full payment to Writers Victoria. Refunds will only be given where a cancellation is made at least three working days prior to an event or course start date (excluding Summer School – refer to Summer School Booking Refund Policy). Writers Victoria reserves the right to cancel any activity due to lack of bookings up to two days prior to an event or course. Due to the nature of a 12-month program, event line-up may be subject to change. Selected Writers Victoria special events and session series are audio recorded for documentation purposes. In attending these events, audience members acknowledge and agree that whole or part of the recording may be used in future for public broadcast through podcast, radio or other channels via the Writers Victoria media outlets.