I am pleased to announce the following candidates elected unopposed in VCASU’s recent by-elections:
- Womans Officer - Rebecca Scully
- International Officer - Chanapon Bunprasery
- Production School Rep - Gabriel Townsend
- CFI Rep - Akhil Gardner
- Art School Rep - Catriona Hutchinson
- Drama School Rep - Mai Thompson
- FTV School Rep - Ana Tiquia
Azlan McLennan
VCASU General Secretary
gensec@vcasu.org.au
As declared by:
Stephen Luntz
Returning Officer
Above Quota Elections
‘I am not a Pornographer nor a Pedophile but an Artist’
‘I am not a Pornographer nor a Pedophile but an Artist’ is a photographic exhibition by Melbourne artist, Victoria Larielle, in response to the recent censorship of Bill Henson’s art work.
The work is a stunning collection of photographs created but never before exhibited, five years ago without even imagining that this style of work could be contentious or viewed as any other form but art. This belief still firmly in place. Those who come to view the exhibit will not be offended, disgusted or revolted rather shall be treated to beautifully captured moments of the ever growing ever changing human form.
Following the recent government censorship and pending criminal charges against the artist Bill Henson Victoria has chosen to exhibit this art to show support to the future of art and great Australian artists, such as Bill Henson.
This exhibition shows the vulnerability, fragility and innocence that underlines every human being, which is of a hidden nature, not always on display but still present. Victoria explores these themes in her images of young adolescents.
‘I am not a pornographer nor a pedophile but an artist’ is showing on Tuesday the 3rd of June at 7pm at the Loop Bar 23 Meyers Place, Melbourne.
For further information contact Jared Larielle (0416 971 202) educate@vcasu.org.au
Further reading: Artist to exhibit nude photos in protest, AAP, June 2, 2008
Jared Larielle is the VCA Student Union Education Officer 2008
VCASU proudly endorses the upcoming demonstrations:
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Liam Ward
Imagine Bowen Street, RMIT University’s central thoroughfare, brought to a standstill by hundreds of determined protesters. Imagine this happening every Friday lunchtime for months on end.This has been the scene since late March: Muslim students and staff, often numbering in their hundreds, gathering to publicly pray on the bitumen, in peaceful protest against RMIT’s broken promises.Even in the midst of a recent hailstorm, dozens of brave people prayed under a handwritten sign reading simply: “Give us back our Prayer Room!”The issue ignited early in semester, when RMIT suddenly broke a longstanding commitment to replace the Muslim prayer rooms on their city campus (having closed the previous facility due to legitimate concerns over its size and safety). Just as the new Prayer Rooms were about to open, RMIT declared they had been recast as a “multi-faith centre”. This decision leaves Muslims with nowhere to practise their religion at RMIT. Islam requires a dedicated prayer space, with specific requirements including dress and hygiene codes, and an absence of representations of idolatry. There has been such a space on campus for well over a decade.
The Islamic Society responded with a solid boycott of the new rooms and announced their determination to pray in Bowen Street every Friday afternoon until RMIT keeps its promise. These prayers have built support for the campaign, making the issue a talking point among staff and students. After all, it’s hard to miss hundreds of people praying en masse at lunchtime in the centre of the campus.
The Islamic Society is determined to win this struggle, and they understand the importance of drawing in support. The Socialist Alternative club has assisted by raising the issue with classmates, co-workers and in the union, and joining the Islamic Society in collecting signatures on petitions.
At least 1500 people, Muslim and non-Muslim, have now signed to condemn RMIT’s actions and demand the Prayer Rooms be returned. This response indicates the strong support among individuals, but tangible support from other campus-based organisations has been limited. The Student Union dragged its feet, and with exception of a couple of the more left-wing people, its formal support has consisted merely of providing an article by the Islamic Society President in the student magazine, and a promise to write an angry letter to the Vice-Chancellor (not even an open letter in the magazine). Similarly, in the staff union (NTEU), it has been left to a few individual socialists to pursue the issue.
Ironically, on 21 May RMIT is holding a “Diversity Day” to celebrate their supposed commitment to multiculturalism. The Islamic Society plans to hold prayers and peaceful protest outside the venue, and has invited their supporters to join them.
RMIT’s online advertisements depict a sunny and multicultural campus, full of diligent youth from around the world studying in racial harmony. Clearly, there’s more that’s fabricated in these images than just the claims about Melbourne’s weather.
RMIT is itself the key offender in not catering for the rights and beliefs of international students. The university boasts about its high intake of students from South-East Asia, particularly from Muslim countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. As late as this year, their international publicity still advertised the “new Muslim Prayer Rooms” - complete with a map!
RMIT is attacking Muslims because the ongoing climate of racist Islamophobia makes them vulnerable. But we can learn a valuable lesson from last year, when RMIT attacked another group they thought were easy targets, disabled students. Then, staff and students fought successfully to save the Disability Liaison Unit. Now it’s the Muslims who need solidarity, and the Prayer Rooms that need to be saved.
Liam is a member of the NTEU at RMIT.
The VCA Student Union stands in full solidarity with RMIT’s Muslim students and opposes this Islamophobic attack on their rights.
Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 17:16:30 +1000
Subject: [savearts] action wednesday 21st
hello kids
i am writing on behalf of everyone who participated in our action on monday. We did not nominate anyone to post to this list, so i am doing it. Hope thats ok.
We need to continue to make noise! The Melbourne Model and the changes in the Arts Faculty need to keep being contested. These changes are not happening because there is no money. They are happening because decisions have been made about the allocation and distribution of money and knowledge. They are about the imposition of an economic, managerial and pedagogical model upon the staff and students of the university. This model marginalises dissenting and critical voices (economics, pedagogy, managment - these things cannot be separated from one another and they cant be removed from the context in which they happen —- despite what Glyn and others with powerful suits keep repeating into their microphones; there is a lot to say about this…).
Sorry to rant -
Onto the wonderful action!
At the last minute, university council was moved from the old quad to the law building in an attempt to avoid hearing us; we went to the law building, were met with security and other little threats (tresspass! police! Law! grrr). We got to level 9 and were blocked from going to university council…we were not stopped because of intimidation but because elevators can be disabled and heavy doors can be locked - but, still, they heard us and felt us.
When we saw that it was physically impossible to get up to level 10 of the well fortified law building, we asked if uni council would accept a number of us as representatives. They said no - they did not even agree to have a representative from the VCA student union go up (Fucked, given the uni wants the VCA student union to ‘merge’ with UMSU with no extra funding - ie - they want to kill the student union at VCA, to silence their dissent).
[Crew from VCA student union were so brilliant - so many and so much energy from such a small school! (they are having an action on the 30th, whoever can get down should; i will post details closer to the date)]
We then sat at level 9 of the law building and had a meeting (sadly, the security blokes blocked our view). The university wants to ignore us, so we need to force them to pay attention by putting the spotlight on them. Together, we decided upon something which seems to be working for others at the moment — Disruption! We need to involve the rest of the world, because the university does not exist in a vacuum!
This Wednesday the 21st we will be meeting at concrete lawns at 1230 (the wonderful VCA kids will be back again). From there we will move down to a big hunk of public street and sit down, dance, scream, etc. Maybe it will be a bit of a festival? Costumes, musical instruments, pots and pans, voices, bodies. It will be a bit of a riot (!).
We need numbers for this, so please come down, please bring ppl. We need to fight this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Melbourne Times, May 14 2008
Rosemary Bolger
Victorian College of the Arts students rallied ahead of a meeting of the Melbourne University Council on Monday. The VCA student union (VCASU) fears a planned restructure of the college will lead to staff cuts and a reduction in the number of courses.
Under the plan, dance, drama and production would become one school of performing arts.
The VCA’s school of music would be combined with the faculty of music in Parville, and the school of film and television would be incorporated into the school of art.
The VCA’s undergraduate course in film and television would be axed if the new structure was implemented next year.
VCASU president Graham Smith said the union was demanding extra funding and a guarantee no jobs would be lost or downgraded.
“The university has already demonstrated its contempt for the arts by slashing jobs and subjects in the faculty of arts at Parkville.
“With no new funding offered to the VCA, why should students expect that this restructure will involve anything but more cuts at our campus?” Mr Smith said. The student union was also demanding funding from Melbourne University after its request for $150,000 was rejected this year. Mr Smith said the union would close at the end of the year without funding.
In an email to students on May 2, director of VCA Andrea Hull denied the restructure was designed to bring the VCA into line with the university’s Melbourne Model, which offers only generalist undergraduate degrees and specific training at a post-graduate level.
“There has been no move to implement the Melbourne Model at the VCA at this time. Of course, how the Melbourne Model might fit in to the VCA to the benefit of students has been a subject of discussion between the VCA and the University of Melbourne over the past year.”
She assured students all existing courses would be offered in 2009 and currently enrolled students would be able to complete their courses.
STUDENTS DISRUPT MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL MEETING
On Monday the 12th of May, over a hundred students from Melbourne University and the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) rallied to show their discontent with proposed cuts to courses at both campuses. (See article from The Australian) This continues a campaign by the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) to defend the Melbourne University Arts Faculty.
Students speaking at the demonstration highlighted overcrowded lectures and tutorials, overworked staff and subject cuts as some of their major concerns. Students from the VCA spoke out against the impact of the recent merger with Melbourne University. Melbourne University plans to merge VCA’s six schools down to three and to scrap undergraduate Film and Television. It has also refused to plug the 35% funding cut suffered by the VCA in 2003-04.
President of the VCA Student Union, Graham Smith, said: “The University’s decision to halve the number of schools at the VCA and their refusal to offer additional funding has sparked outrage amongst VCA students. Melbourne Uni has already demonstrated its contempt for the Arts by cutting subjects and staff at Parkville. Why should we expect the University to do anything other than introduce further cuts at the VCA in 2009?”
On Monday, student protest forced the University Council to move their meeting. Nevertheless, students disrupted the meeting for hours and held a sit-in on the ninth floor of the prestigious Law Building.
Next week, students plan to continue their campaign by staging a blockade of a major road in Parkville. “Since the University plans to run the Arts Faculty like a business, we’ll be disrupting business as usual until the University adequately funds Arts,” said Rebecca Barrigos, member of the UMSU Students’ Council and Education activist.
Blockade details:
Wednesday 21st May, 12.30 Union Lawns, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne.
Media contacts:
Robert Anderson-Hunt, Education (Public Affairs) Officer, UMSU: 0421 636 335 educationpublic@union.unimelb.edu.au
Graham Smith, President, VCA Student Union: 0432 984 334 prez@vcasu.org.au
Keep up the pressure on Melbourne Uni and VCA Administration. Following the first successful demonstration against the latest round of attacks, (See article from The Australian) VCASU is calling on all VCA students to keep fighting.
Also VCA Student Unionists meet every Thursday in the Student Union. All students welcome! (See VCA Student Unionists)
On campus protest:
Demand an end to the massacre of YOUR VCA!
Protest the VCA Directorate!
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