Info to support artists and artsworkers

It is our aim to provide you with as much information as possible to help you navigate the obligations you have as a practising artist and/or artsworker. These include taxation, arts law, copyright, governance, collection management, health and safety and more and are in alphabetical order. It will take us a while to load everything so in the meantime we have included some links for you.

• Arts Law Australia is based in Sydney and is Australia’s only national community legal centre for the arts. They are a not-for-profit that is committed to strengthening the value and respect for creative communities and culture to make a better world. Arts Law is Australia’s only community legal centre for the arts. Arts Law advises artists and arts organisations. They have free resources about contracts, copyright, defamation, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), offer workshops and advocate for artists across Australia. https://www.artslaw.com.au/
  
• Australian Museums and Galleries Association Incorporated (AMaGA) is the national association and peak advocacy body representing museums and galleries. They encompass a wide and diverse range of national, state, regional and community museums, galleries, historic sites, research centres, Indigenous cultural centres, and Keeping Places across Australia. All of their members are linked by a shared dedication to culture, the arts, movable cultural heritage and communities, and the knowledge that Australian cultural life is a dynamic ecosystem that generates creativity and innovation and contributes to the social and economic wellbeing of the country. https://www.amaga.org.au/
  
• Australian Tax Office: Form for artists receiving payments who do not have an ABN – If a supplier (that’s you) does not provide an ABN, the payer (the person paying you) may need to withhold an amount from the payment for that supply – this is referred to as ‘no ABN withholding’. Find the form here: https://www.ato.gov.au/forms-and-instructions/statement-by-supplier-not-quoting-an-abn
  
• The Copyright Agency is a not-for-profit government agency that collects licence fees for the reuse of text and images and distributes these as copyright royalty payments to creator members. Membership is free and you are encouraged to join so that you can received fees they might received on your behalf. They manage the Statutory Education copyright scheme, the Commonwealth, State and Territory Statutory Government copying schemes, the Resale Royalty scheme for visual artists, and the special provisions for institutions assisting people with print disabilities – all by all by appointment by the Government or by the Copyright Tribunal.
  The nearly 40,000 members are made up of authors, journalists, publishers, visual artists, and surveyors and more.
  In addition, we issue licences to commercial business across sectors like Banking & Finance, Energy, Property and Media Monitoring Organisations and manage end-to-end Visual Arts Licences and return these licence fees to our creator members too.
  The Copyright Agency also have agreements with International Affiliates to license the use of foreign content in Australia, and collect licence fees for Australian content used overseas.
  https://www.copyright.com.au/about-us/what-we-do/… https://www.copyright.com.au/about-us/what-we-do/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNEmvlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETEzOXFxTzZaSFU5dm9GMzV2AR7kwjrttQfJ6JkNE3iQRkCER7YrlsiGTnRmGU3V7zeQMjRfXf2LViXrGdpUig_aem_J7FFCybEwc2ajRXheZVdJg
  
• Indigenous Art Code: Indigenous Art Code Ltd (IartC) is the national organisation responsible for administering a voluntary industry code of conduct for art dealers and other entities who trade in or deal with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and their art. IartC supports artists who contact us directly with issues or concerns about commercial dealings they have entered into or are considering entering into. We facilitate transparent communication between artists and member businesses, providing advice and, when required, referrals to other support organisations. Through our Code Signatory membership process, IartC promotes best practice standards and behaviour change, strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts sector and helping to create a fairer market for artists to engage with. IartC plays an advocacy role for our members, addressing the issues and challenges that impact them and the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts sector. Key campaigns IartC has helped develop and champion include the Fake Art Harms Culture Campaign and Our Art is Our Lifeline, which responded to market fluctuations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
• Museums and Galleries Queensland – their purpose is to inspire and support excellence in Queensland museums, galleries and keeping places, fostering innovation, connection and cultural leadership. For more information go to: https://magsq.com.au/