School: Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Finance and Funding for the Arts
  • Unit Code

    ADM2605
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Vahri MCKENZIE

Description

In this unit, students learn how to apply financial planning and control processes to an arts project, organisation or event. The unit examines the principles of financial sustainability for arts organisations and the opportunities for commercial business outcomes in sectors of the industry. By analysing local, State and Federal government funding mechanisms for the arts, as well as philanthropic and corporate financial support, the unit also considers sources of capital for commercial arts and entertainment ventures, as well as international cultural exchanges.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Develop and interpret budgeting and cost control systems typically employed in arts and cultural organisations.
  2. Use relevant software applications and technologies in financial planning, management and reporting.
  3. Apply knowledge of arts funding programs, philanthropic and sponsorship opportunities, key financial management principles and application processes in the development of a feasible arts funding pitch.
  4. Employ financial management skills on an arts project, performance or event.

Unit Content

  1. Application of economic principles relevant to the culture and arts industries (including opportunity cost and comparative advantage, supply and demand, pricing and market structures).
  2. Budgeting for arts organisations, projects and events, with emphasis on flexible budgets and variance modelling.
  3. Preparation and analysis of cash flow statements.
  4. Government funding sources and programs.
  5. Delivering a pitch.
  6. Analysis of financial statements, including ratio, break-even and cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis.
  7. Risk analysis and management.
  8. Corporate sponsorship and philanthropy in the culture and arts industry inclusive of tax incentives.
  9. International arts finance and funding in support of cultural exchange.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 1Not Offered9 x 1 hour lectureNot Offered
Semester 1Not Offered9 x 2 hour tutorialNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students will attend a series of classes and engage in learning activities through the ECU Learning Management System. In addition, students will undertake an industry practicum. Note: Normally, students studying on-campus undertake the industry practicum at WAAPA/ECU. Students studying online undertake the practicum with an approved local arts company/institution or cultural organisation.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseArts finance exercise(s)60%
PracticumIndustry practicum (supervisor report and reflection)40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseArts finance exercise(s)60%
PracticumIndustry practicum (supervisor report and reflection)40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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