The
Wolanski Foundation 1999/2000
the year in review
OUR
AIM
The Foundation aims to
facilitate management, presentation and appreciation of the performing arts.
OUR WEBSITE
In 1999/2000, we launched our
website, now with more than 700 links to external sites and services, 169
bibliographic citations and 7 papers on performing arts history and
information management. We intend to develop the site during the coming year
before considering changes to its style, content and functionality.
RESEARCH
Our research activities
focused on the role and potential of associations and foundations in the arts
industry. A paper, Serving the Arts, a development of previous papers
on the subject, is scheduled for completion in 2001.
AUSTRALIAN THEATRE
DATABASE PROJECT
Work on information standards
and initiatives, completed by Foundation Director, Paul Bentley, to assist the
development of a national database of Australian theatre by Flinders
University, unveiled issues relevant to our enquiry into the role of
professional associations and foundations. Flinders University is the lead
university developing the database with financial assistance from the
Australian Research Council and supported by the Heads of Australian
Universities Theatres Studies Institutions [CHAUTSI], the Australasian Drama
Studies Association [ADSA] and Museum Australia’s Performing Arts Special
Interest Group {PASIG] representing Australian performing arts collections.
Paul is currently investigating the feasibility of establishing a New South
Wales/ACT hub for the database, possibly involving new forms of partnership in
managing the creation of and access to performing arts information.
AUSTRALIS PROJECT
He was also involved in a
proposed revival Australis or the City of Zero, a pantomime written and
produced by JC Williamson in 1900/1901 to celebrate the federation of
Australia. Although the production has now been abandoned, Paul and Australian
actor, director and writer Peter Sumner are continuing to build on their
research and explore prospects for an exhibition, originally planned as a
satellite event to the production.
AUSTRALIAN STAGE PROJECT 1789-2000+
Our of this process, they
developed the concept of the Australian Stage Project to address research
inhibitors including scattered, lost and elusive resources, evolving standards
and systems and piecemeal approaches in managing performing arts resources.
They will be seeking responses to the proposal after further development and
consultations.
THE FUTURE
Macquarie University
Librarian, Neil McLean, in a paper called Collaborating to Compete: the
Search for New Alliances, has written of
broad areas which
require collaborative solutions and concerted collaborative action in order
to reach cost effective scaleable solutions for matching users with
information resources ...the old rules
and mechanisms for library collaboration do not readily translate into the
networked information service environment and new ways have to be found to
both scope and plan the boundaries for collaborative activity and fund the
resulting business models.
We look forward to forging
alliances with other organisations in developing creative solutions for
managing performing arts information resources in the coming year.
Phillip
Wolanski
Chairman
31
July 2000
