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Privacy Statement

Your personal information is being collected by City of Ballarat for the purpose of responding to your questions or comments. Your information will be stored in Council’s Customer Database and used to identify you when communicating with Council and for the delivery of services and information. For further information on how your personal information is handled, refer to Council’s Privacy Policy at www.ballarat.vic.gov.au

Ask your question…

Have you got a query about how arts and culture is implemented across the city? Simply fill in the form above and we will endeavour to publish our response below!

Q: How is temporary public art commissioned in Ballarat?

A: Temporary public art projects are those that are intended to remain in situ for a nominated period, generally less than 5 years. The projects are often advertised calling for an expression of interest and may also be curated for a specific site. The preferred method for establishing a temporary public art commission is by a two-stage process where artists express interest in the process and are then short-listed and engaged to create a proposed design, one design is then selected as the commissioned artwork. The selection process will be undertaken by Council Staff and on occasion also external representatives. From time-to-time the process may vary based on the requirements of funders or project needs.

Q: How is permanent public art commissioned in Ballarat?

A: Permanent public art projects are those that are intended to remain in situ for more than 5 years, the project will still be allocated an intended lifespan e.g 20+ years that will indicate the type of materials and site considerations for the work. The projects may be advertised as expressions of interest or may also be curated for a specific site. The preferred method for establishing a permanent public art commission is by a three-stage process where artists express interest in the process and are then short-listed and engaged to create a proposed design, one or two design(s) then proceed to a detailed design phase. A formal process involving a panel comprising Council Officers and external representatives is established to guide the selection process at all stages to the final design confirmation and commission. If the cost of the commission exceeds $150,000 Council will also initiate a formal tender process run through Council’s Procurement Team and advertised via an online Tendering portal.

Q. Does the City of Ballarat follow NAVA protocols for commissioning artworks?

A: In all projects undertaken Council endeavours to follow the best practice principles outlined by the National Association for the Visual Arts (see the guidelines here: https://visualarts.net.au/guides/). These best practice approaches provide a fair an equitable process for artists and commissioners. From time to time the City of Ballarat processes have varied from these guidelines, please contact us via the above form if you have any concerns about advertised projects.

Q. What should I do if I see a damaged public artwork in Ballarat?

A. Please contact us at artsculture@ballarat.vic.gov.au with details of the work, its location and the damage you have noted. Please provide photos if available. We will try to ascertain who owns the artwork and what repairs are needed. Please do not post images of the damage online as community members can occasionally ‘souvenir’ parts of artworks or visit the site to inspect the damage which may cause additional damage or injury.

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