Principles, Ethics and Rights
Detailed Discussion
Artists and arts organisations need strategies to address emergencies like flood, storm and fire, as well as threats such as disease, climate shocks, environmental breakdown, digital threats, malicious damage and workplace health and safety.
Current Conditions
Most artists and arts organisations prepare for disasters through insurance, risk management and emergency response planning.
Insurance offers protection against financial loss due to disasters.
Risk management means assessing risk and taking actions to mitigate risk and protect assets.
Emergency response planning involves planning the actions you will take should a risk become a reality.
Key Issues
Events such as the Covid pandemic and extreme weather linked to climate change have impacted on both risk management requirements and the cost of insurance. Insurance against disasters can be prohibitively expensive for artists and arts organisations, especially those living and/or working in at-risk zones. Also, insurance policies won’t cover all situations and a pay out of funds will not be immediate.
Emerging areas of risk such as internet security, work cancellations and workplace health and safety compliance mean that emergency response and disaster preparedness is an evolving space.
Legal Requirements
Legal requirements impacting on insurance, civil liability and workers compensation can vary between states and territories, and laws change with some frequency.
Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) legislation exists at the federal levels and in every state and territory. WHS legislation mandates obligations in workplaces and work processes.
For more information, see Workplace Health and Safety.
Arts Law's Liability and Insurance article can assist in understanding legal responsibilities and how to safeguard against risk.
Recommended Processes
Insurance
Artists should seek advice and information to weigh the benefits, costs and risks when deciding whether to take out an insurance policy against emergencies or disasters. Artists may choose to set aside money for a disaster, rather than paying for an insurance policy that covers loss of equipment and/or loss of income, so that it is available in an emergency. Also consider sharing resources such as equipment and materials with other creatives in your area to share costs and risks.
For more information, see Insurance.
Risk Management
Risk management means assessing risks and vulnerabilities, making a plan to mitigate risks, and then implementing and monitoring that plan. This section relates to managing risks to artwork, assets and information. For detailed guidance on managing risks to people in the workplace, see Workplace Health and Safety.
NAVA's Risk Management factsheet includes information on managing risk and a risk assessment template.
Consider what might happen if you (as an artist) were impacted by:
physical and mental illness or injury of yourself, colleagues, collaborators or family members
water damage, rain, hail, floods and storms
fire damage, including bushfires and electrical fires
chemical or hazardous material damage
theft
destruction of your workspace
event cancellations
other threats
What can you least afford to lose? You should have a clear idea of your assets.
This may include:
life and health
work in progress
work stored or archived
studio equipment (supplies, tools, machinery)
office equipment (computers, printers)
files and documentation (photographs of your work, records of recipes, certifications and techniques, mailing lists and passwords, invoices and contracts)
You should also prioritise your assets so you know what is most important in an emergency. Think about your priorities in terms of both significance and vulnerability.
Risk management planning looks for ways to lower your risks and to protect your assets, for example through:
maintaining insurance
putting money aside in an emergency fund
conducting repairs
appropriate storage procedures
doing safety training
changing the batteries in your smoke detector
conducting maintenance, such as clearing gutters and exhausts
digitising your archive and storing it in the cloud
making backups - see NAVA's Storing Data and Maintaining Digital Assets guide
keeping documents in a safe or fireproof box
taking portable valuables home with you
increasing digital and physical security
Review and update your plan at least twice a year. Organisations and groups should appoint an emergency team to manage emergencies and emergency planning.
Emergency Response Planning
Some actions you can take to prepare for a disaster or emergency are:
make a plan for responding to an imminent threat of storm, flood or fire, such as storing items off the floor, or having another safe location to store your most valuable items if needed
prepare an emergency information pack with emergency contact details, evacuation information and medical information
consider your information channels and how you will keep yourself informed
prepare an emergency kit with supplies like water, food, chargers, a torch, medications and a radio in case services are disrupted and you are on your own for an extended period. See Red Cross Get Packing checklist
write out step by step what you need to do in an emergency – an Emergency Procedures Manual – including identifying two escape routes from every space and a safe meeting place outside the area
familiarise yourself with local forums and social media networks which are invaluable resources before, during and after major disasters
A key consideration in the wake of a disaster is caring for your mental wellbeing and getting the support you need. For more information see the Black Dog Institute’s Coping in the Aftermath.
Responsibilities of Artists and Organisations
Artists and organisations have a responsibility to protect their personal health and safety, as well as that of anyone working with them or visiting their workplace. This means undertaking risk assessments and implementing a risk management plan for every installation, event, change of space or any construction work.
Artists and organisations with artworks in their possession also have a responsibility to assess risks to the works, plan to mitigate risks and implement the plan.
Artists, individuals or organisations loaning an artwork should have an artwork loan agreement in place to ensure that the borrower has adequate measures in place to protect the artwork against hazards including flood, fire, theft or other damage. The artwork loan agreement should detail what actions will be taken should any damage occur. For an example template, see Arts Law's Loan of Artwork for Public Exhibition Agreement.