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14 Oct, 2014

FREE Download: Australia Issues Best Practice Guide to Collecting Cultural Material

The Australian Best Practice Guide to Collecting Cultural Material outlines principles and standards to assist Australia’s public collecting institutions when acquiring cultural material by purchase, gift, bequest or exchange.

The guide outlines ethical considerations and legal obligations that apply to collecting institutions and provides guidance on transparency and accountability measures. Sections of the guide may also apply to cultural material being considered for inward loan. The Guide has been developed by the Ministry for the Arts in consultation with all states and territories and cultural heritage experts.

According to Senator George Brandis QC, Minister for the Arts, “A key function of our collecting institutions is to acquire, preserve and display cultural material to enrich our appreciation and understanding of cultures around the world.

“This new guide will assist our museums, galleries, libraries and archives to navigate the complex ethical and legal requirements of acquiring works by incorporating national and international guidelines into a single document.

The guide outlines key principles and standards to support our collecting institutions in better understanding their obligations when purchasing or borrowing artworks or objects.

Additional transparency and accountability measures in the guide will reassure the Australian public that the items in our public collections have been acquired according to the highest legal and ethical standards.”

Click here to download: Australian Best Practice Guide to Collecting Cultural Material, 2014 [PDF 1MB]