Much interest and debate was generated at the recent Annual General Meeting as a result of the organisational changes proposed by Graham Hay. It was suggested he write this synopsis to clarify his proposal.
Why change the way CAGAWA is organised? I suppose the motivation comes from looking carefully at how the crafts are organised and wondering why it comes second best much of the time. For example, the Australia Council recently admitted that it had been discriminating against Crafts People, relative to Artists, ever since it had rolled craft in with visual arts funding.
Why did this happen and who wasn't looking out for us?
The answer came from really looking at how important the members are to the survival of these groups. For the Crafts Council of WA, member subscriptions are worth about 2 %, while the government provides about 62 % of its income (Five year average calculated from Annual Reports). Not surprising that organisations like these tend to focus on telling us or doing what the government thinks is important. This organisation that represents craft concerns is in essentially a government department with an elected board, subsidising its activities through a shop and gallery!
Secondly there is an ethical issue in craft funding.
What stuck me was this big gap between the 248,000 West Australians who participate in the crafts, but receive little encouragement, and the 400 people who belong to the Crafts Council that receives $260,000 a year. Within the Craft Council of WA the "Fellows" receive preferential treatment, a real assistance of about $5,000 each, ensuring that they are written about and promoted to national and international audiences and markets.
Recent indications are that this unethical funding situation is unlikely to continue forever. We really have no choice. but to make sure that CAGAWA does not model itself in any way on the Craft Council of WA, or similar governmental organisations. We need a large membership organisation. Our loyalty must be to all WA crafts people in ensuring that we build an association that maintains its focus on members and potential members, not only now but into the future. We need an association that builds upon local clay and glass groups that already exist, an association that enables those active in these groups to come together and share their experiences and resources.
We know from government surveys that of the 45,000 West Australians who use clay and glass only about 4,000 belong to a group. I have just begun looking but so far I have found over 30 clay and/or glass groups. There are literally hundreds more out there that are small and unknown outside their members' friends and families.
In its present form CAGAWA is unlikely to ever grow any bigger than the Perth Potters Club, the Ceramic Study Group or any other existing clay or glass group. In order to host the 1999 National and International Ceramic Conference a much larger organisation is needed in order to spread the workload. The Conference and associated exhibitions provide appropriate media events to raise public awareness of the scale of our clay and glass community. Most of us have no real comprehension of the scale of this community. By raising public awareness of the size and diversity of our community we empower not only ourselves but the majority who work alone in clay and glass.
How can CAGAWA become larger?
The problem was how to create an organisation that does not weaken the existing small groups by attracting away their members and office holders. I believe it is the local or specialised nature of many of these groups that is their strength. They provide important social roles as well as a friendly way for people to gain or pass on clay and glass skills and craft values. If we can attract these groups to CAGAWA we can build a very large network.
At the AGM there was some debate about membership fees. The following is a sketch that is still being developed, comments and suggestions are welcome (Ph 328 7592).
I propose a discount membership fee for those who already belong to an existing group, to reduce the total cost for those who already belong to a group (such a system already operates now with 60 per cent of NAVAs WA members also members of the Artists Foundation of WA).
Secondly I propose that for those organisations that collect and pass on the CAGAWA membership fees of their own members, there be a further discount. By collecting and passing on the subscriptions in one payment these groups reduce the administration burden on CAGAWA of following up members, which will become substantial as we grow.
Whether these groups pass back the discount to their members or use it to fund their activities should be up to them, but it will make it attractive for their members (and their group to encourage their members) to join CAGAWA.
This graph illustrates the largest proportion of groups and group members are outside the better known major art and craft organisations.
Suggested CAGAWA subscriptions:
| Membership | rate | minimum size | ||
| Direct | $80 | n.a. | ||
| Dual | $50 | 8 | ||
| Block | $20 | 16 |
The minimum number for each category is up for discussion, and depends on the average size of the many groups.
Members will be encouraged to attend workshops, social events or meetings organised by any group. The groups could use these activities to raise funds and their profile within their local or specialised audience.
CAGAWA would only organise large events, co-ordinate tours by visiting interstate and international artists and publish a monthly newsletter that would go directly to all CAGAWA members (to reduce the workload on the CAGAWA committees).
PYRE would go out less frequently with the newsletter to reduce postage. Voting at the AGM and general meetings would be by elected group representatives to reduce the size and duration of meetings. The number of delegates per group would he proportional to their number of CAGWA members to ensure that all groups had a voice. Non-delegates may be elected to any position provided they are financial members of CAGAWA.
Graham Hay is a member of the Craft Council of WA and CAGAWA. In the past he has been a committee member of CAGAWA, Arts Voice (WA), NAVA (WA branch) and has worked for a professional association with 9,000 members.
This article appeared as "No such thing as a free lunch" in Pyre: Journal of the Clay & Glass Association of Western AUstralia, 1995, No. 7, p. 4-5. (Reproduced with kind permission from the editor; Edward Arrowsmith).
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