General information
Arts Law Centre of Australia
The Arts Law Centre of Australia, a not-for-profit organisation, is the national community legal centre for the arts. It provides legal advice and information on a wide range of arts related legal and business matters including contracts, copyright, business structures, defamation, insurance, employment and taxation to artists and arts organisations across all art forms.
The Arts Law Centre of Australia has a specialised Indigenous service, Artists in the Black. Artists in the Black aims to increase access to advice and information about the legal rights of Indigenous artists and organisations in a culturally appropriate way thanks to the help of Indigenous staff.
ArtsCareer
ArtsCareer is an online professional development hub for artists and educators to access up-to-date career development information from around Australia. ArtsCareer provides resources for artists and educators from all disciplines, including dance, music, visual arts, theatre, writing and inter-arts. Click on an art form category in the left hand menu to get started. The website has been developed by the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) in partnership with the arts and educational peak organisations across the country.
Black Book Directory
Indigenous people and organisations working in the arts, media and cultural industries can register with the Black Book Directory. The directory contains more than 2,700 listings and is a useful source of Indigenous expertise for projects and employment. It contains information on professional development for Aboriginal arts professionals.
Industry organisations
Ausdance
Ausdance is Australia’s peak body for dance. Their services include advocacy for dance, dance industry journals and publications, workshops and forums, networking and dance resources. They also provide occupational health and safety information through their Safe Dance research and the Ausdance Aon Insurance Scheme.
Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP)
The AIPP is a membership association for Australia’s professional photography community.
Australian Director’s Guild
The Australian Directors Guild (ADG) is an industry association representing the interests of film, television and digital media directors, documentary makers, animators, assistant directors and independent producers throughout Australia. Their website provides information about standard rates.
Australian Society of Authors
The Australian Society of Authors is the professional association for Australia’s literary creators. The ASA sets minimum rates for pay and conditions for authors and illustrators, and publishes books, papers and lists for emerging and established writers. The most recently updated ASA guidelines on rates and conditions can be viewed on their website.
Australian Writer’s Guild
The Australian Writer’s Guild (AWG) is the professional association for Australian performance writers including film, television, theatre, film and radio. The AWG provides members who work in these areas with information on minimum hourly rates.
Design Institute of Australia
The Design Institute of Australia (DIA) is Australia's professional membership body for designers and design businesses. The DIA provides members with information on fee and salary conditions in the design sector.
Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA)
The Alliance is the union and professional organisation which covers everyone in the media, entertainment, sports and arts industries. There are over 36,000 members which include people working in TV, radio, theatre & film, entertainment venues, recreation grounds, journalists, actors, dancers, sportspeople, cartoonists, photographers, orchestral & opera performers as well as people working in public relations, advertising, book publishing & website production. MEAA publishes the awards for categories of media and entertainment professionals, and can provide information to members about minimum standard hourly rates.
National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA)
NAVA is the national peak body for the visual arts, craft and design sector working through advocacy and service provision, to achieve a flourishing Australian visual arts sector and a more vibrant, distinctive and ethical cultural environment. NAVA undertakes advocacy and lobbying, research, policy and project development, data collection and analysis. It also provides a direst service to its members and the sector generally by offering expert advice, referrals, resources, professional representation and development and a range of other services.
NAVA provides a useful fee schedule for artists in its publication The Code of Practice for the Australian Visual Arts and Craft Sector. The schedule sets out approximate rates of pay for trainees, a standard rate of pay, and rates for senior practitioners in the three main categories of artist’s employment – studio artist, public artist and new media artists.
