**ARTS MILDURA UPDATE: COVID-19**

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There is much to consider in the world right now, and many people are feeling like we are entering into a strange new world. Perhaps we are.
At Arts Mildura, we have taken a few vital steps in support of our arts industry and precious creative ecology. These include:

AM response to current situation (which will evolve as the situation does):
- confirmation of all programming going ahead, delayed only by the length of building closure - thus much of our 2020 program will become our 2021 program
- an upfront 50% payment of any artist fee/commission we were offering for 2020 programming (even those well in advance), to assist artists experiencing severe income loss
- Coordination of a community-wide, artist-led conversation around new ideas and programming for Mildura and region. This is a key piece of our current work - enabling and supporting the creative community through this period, ensuring that the creative ecology of both Mildura and the country are supported with resources at this difficult period
- Continuation of commitment to casual and contract staffing
- A rent-free period has been offered to all studio tenants within our community arts hub
- a one off 'health' payment for staff: a cash payment to assist with anything considered needed for good health - skin care, a book, a session with a therapist

When we announced the immediate (yet temporary) closure of the Arts Mildura building, we cited the reason as being our 'social and ethical responsibility' to this community.  All of the responses above are similarly made because we feel we have a responsibility to our community, our artists and our staff. We hope by publishing our positionality on these responses, that other organisations and businesses might continue to consider their own responsibilities amidst the COVID-19 situation.  Many of these 'responsibilities' were things we might not have considered our own a month ago - for instance, the responsibility and care a Not For Profit arts organisation might give to the mental health of its staff, outside of our work and programs.

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