Describe the main features of the policy/measure:
The AFTRS is Australia's national training, education and research institution for screen and broadcast media. AFTRS' purpose is to find and empower Australian talent, to shape and share their stories with the world by delivering future-focused, industry-relevant education, research and training.
AFTRS represents Australia’s voice and has a social responsibility to encourage diverse voices, inclusive of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. AFTRS' Indigenous initiatives are embedded within the operations of the organisation and support the continued awareness and growth of Indigenous media practitioners and best practice.
AFTRS Indigenous initiatives contribute to the creation and production stages of the cultural value chain, including partnerships with cultural and commercial institutions in joint projects to deliver and host events such as workshops, courses, talks, and masterclasses. Other areas of focus have been prioritising and supporting Indigenous student retention, supporting Indigenous students' bridge to industry, reviewing Indigenous content within AFTRS, and providing ongoing support for study through Indigenous scholarships and subsidies. These initiatives are delivered to enable Indigenous Australians to further their craft skills to tell their own stories in key creative positions in screen and broadcast.
Website of the policy/measure, if available:
What are the results achieved so far through the implementation of the policy/measure?:
Through its Indigenous initiatives, the AFTRS bridges the journey into industry by supporting Indigenous graduates' entrepreneurial initiatives and partnering to build career pathways, developing, and managing internships, placements, and attachments with organisations with substantial responsibility for providing Indigenous opportunities.
AFTRS supports emerging Indigenous talent that feeds the industry with skilled professionals. It also provides support through upskilling those who are already practitioners.
Through its established partnerships, the AFTRS has delivered over 30 joint initiatives benefiting Indigenous students and practitioners during the reporting period. These have included programs such as a nationwide Indigenous roadshow to inform Indigenous emerging and current practitioners, and a pilot initiative called Drawing out Story, which is an introduction into filmmaking for Remote Aboriginal Women (RAW). AFTRS also ran writing workshops nationally targeting Indigenous screen storytellers for television.
AFTRS facilitated the Indigenous Language and Knowledge Keeping event for the UNESCO 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages and launched its Podcast Talk Talk: Indigenous Language and Storytelling, giving insights into Indigenous Australia from a First Nations perspective. Other Indigenous initiatives have included the AFTRS’ guest lectures with First Nations experts and also the introduction of Indigenous masterclasses to provide students access to talented Indigenous media and broadcast practitioners during a period of disruption caused by the global pandemic.
In the reporting period, AFTRS offered 42 scholarships to Indigenous students and provided over 25 short course and workshop subsidies, supporting Indigenous students and practitioners' access to study.
Financial resources allocated to the policy/measure in USD:
N/A
Partner(s) engaged in the implementation of the measure:
| Name of partner | Type of entity |
|---|---|
Screen Australia
| Public Sector
|
Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC)
| Public Sector
|
National Indigenous Television (NITV)
| Public Sector
|
Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)
| Public Sector
|
Indigenous Remote Communications Association (IRCA)
| Public Sector
|
Solid Ground
| Civil Society Organization (CSO)
|
Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)
| |
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA)
| Civil Society Organization (CSO)
|
First Nations Media Australia
| Civil Society Organization (CSO)
|
Top End Bush Broadcast Association (TEBBA)
| Civil Society Organization (CSO)
|
Australian state screen agencies
| Public Sector
|
Has the implementation of the policy/measure been evaluated?:
YES
If yes, what are the main conclusions/recommendations?:
Many of the AFTRS’ Indigenous initiatives are established in its corporate performance measures and are evaluated and reported on individually each year. This measure, encompassing the whole of the AFTRS’ Indigenous initiatives, has not been evaluated in its entirety. In 2020 the AFTRS was reshaped to encompass First Nations and Outreach and has targets within the School's strategic plan. Strategic targets for 2020–2021 include developing and implementing a new Outreach Strategy and a First Nations Strategy that will incorporate activities analysis. To further embed Indigenous perspectives across the AFTRS, it undertook an audit and review of its Indigenous content. It provided an opportunity for further development of resources and content that engages First Nations storytelling.