freedom of expression,
universal access to information,
equal access to education
and cultural diversity.

The objectives of SECAP include multi-disciplinary approaches to the visual arts that are cognisant of UNESCO’s 2001 Declaration on Cultural Diversity that notes: ‘culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual, and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs.’ Membership of SECAP includes research active staff and research students at QCA who work in a range of ways including collaborative initiatives and projects, a number of which have been established in conjunction with other organisations and institutions.

The SECAP research initiative is founded on a commitment to the idea that contemporary visual art practice is essential in working towards futures that are culturally, environmentally and socially diverse, inclusive and critically responsive

Levels of diversity and disparity in geography, demography, cultures, languages and economies are reportedly greater in the Asia Pacific region than in any other. Extreme disparities also exist in levels of ICT infrastructure, access, usage and development along side significant differences in access and approaches to higher education. These specificities of complexity and diversity in the Asia Pacific region provide a focal point for addressing processes involved in constructing knowledge societies and the roles of stakeholders – governments, the private sector, civil society and regional and international organisations – in managing these revolutionary changes.

Universities can be significant players in sustaining cultural diversity in processes and outcomes. This requires new levels of innovation, flexibility, collaboration and risk taking in university practice. In particular, this presentation addresses the role of universities in sustaining cultural diversity through strategic partnerships with stakeholders, innovative projects promoting open access information, multiple information literacies, community inputs and preservation of the region’s diverse community knowledges (including traditional environmental knowledges), languages and cultural heritages.

International engagement:

SECAP’s emphasis on cultural diversity has underscored the commitment to such issues that already existed in the work of a number of postgraduate students. These include the names of internationally acclaimed visual artists such as Vernon Ah Kee, Dennis Nona and Alfredo Aquilizan, each of whom continues to produce works that challenge orthodoxies about contemporary art production by indigenous and marginalized cultures. Each of these artists has maintained internationally acclaimed profiles through their representation in the world’s leading biennales and triennales, while still maintaining strong commitments to localized community and cultural practices. SECAP’s commitment to international engagement and grass-roots initiatives across the region is reflected in the stellar careers of QCA’s Adjunct Professors who include Tim Page, Dadang Christanto, Tony Fry, Jenny Watson, Judy Watson, Craig Walsh and John RodstedOther graduates and candidates from the RHD and undergraduate programs at QCA continue to work in alignment with SECAP’s overarching mission both within Australia and overseas include Dr Michael Coyne, an established and widely published photojournalist stationed in Hong Kong who is currently engaged in  a long-term project documenting the demise of rural villages and small towns in the region; Jack Picone, a current PhD candidate stationed in Bangkok, who has won a number of international award for his work in South East Asia documenting human rights abuses, illegal logging, sex trade exploitation and the impact of HIV on local communities; and  Adam Ferguson  currently stationed in New Delhi, who has documented human rights issues from the conflict in Afghanistan to the plight of Australia’s homeless. 

Source: Pat Hoffie