By Haneulle Lovell, AYO Youth Council Member and 2026 Richard Pollett Memorial Award recipient
The inaugural AYO Youth Summit was a fabulous day that, in its essence, celebrated what it means to be a young artist in Australia. The intersection of many varied backgrounds and experiences made for nuanced and thought-provoking discussions on themes of cultural policy and the future of the arts landscape in Australia.
I had the privilege of co-hosting the Future Is Now session during the Summit, alongside Queensland violist, Alex Arthur. We conducted a panel discussion where we spoke with Zoe Taylor (Creative Australia) and Dr Dan Golding (ABC radio presenter and professor at Monash University) who are both fantastic leaders in their respective areas of the arts, but also, as we found throughout the day, very clever and generous humans.
Hosting such a session was a great learning experience in itself, especially as it was the last of three one-and-a-half-hour sessions, and after a lunch break too! It was challenging trying to gauge which threads to tease out in the conversation and facilitating activities that would allow the delegates to translate their learning into new ideas. However, sitting in small groups with Zoe and Dan to formulate ideas and actions towards the end of the session was so rewarding and felt like an honest team effort amongst colleagues.
So, what did we learn?
After the panel discussion, the idea of ‘friction’, that Dan Golding spoke about, lingered in my mind. We, as a society, have always been trying to make life easier – a smoother experience, less effort. And in so many ways, this is positive. In the case of the arts, technology has allowed incredibly quick and easy access to what feels like endless videos, audio and visuals online. The digital world has allowed us to access content that transcends our physical vicinity and our budgets. It means we often don’t need to travel, plan too far ahead, or commit to something in the same way we would if we were attending an in-person concert or a gallery.
But how is this newfound ease impacting the way we engage with the arts?
Something said in an earlier session of the day was that we are perhaps moving towards a norm where people consume life rather than living and experiencing life. Of course, this is a generalisation! But even the commonly-used terminology ‘music consumption’ lends to this intangible concept of consuming music.
Because we can access a recording of the Berlin Philharmonic on YouTube in approximately five seconds, the act of actually attending a concert feels like a huge effort in comparison and contributes to more moments of hesitancy to commit to events or more ‘analogue’ ways to consume art. But as someone who has consumed both digital and live performances, I think there is absolutely no question which one leaves the bigger lasting impact and has felt like a better use of my time and energy.
It was suggested in our discussion that the revival of interest in vinyl records, for example, hints at a yearning within the community to engage with music in a way that requires a little more effort.
And I understand it. The joy that comes from sifting through a collection of old vinyls, finding the one that fits the moment perfectly, carefully sliding it out of its sleeve, and placing it on the turntable. Having to turn the record over to hear Side B. The joy and fun of that experience can be compared to many things – an afternoon of committed thrifting for second-hand clothes, for instance!
It seems perhaps we are subconsciously starting to recognise the beauty of doing things the long way – the harder way. Just like writing in a journal by hand, or cooking from scratch, the act of actively consuming music can surely become a trend again.
Where to from here?
As a starting point, many live music events present an amazing opportunity for communities to slow down and be present with something new and with one another. To have something to plan for and look forward to. Whether it is shared with friends, or as a fun solo outing, the opportunity to experience music asks of us to sit for a while and immerse in the moment.
Embracing those moments of friction, like changing the pace of our day, or even just changing location, enables us to find something new and different to what we are used to.
Perhaps encourage your friends to attend a concert that may seem like a bit of an odd choice at first. You could even make a trip out of it.
Or, take a moment to really think about what you wish to listen to through your headphones before you just chuck on any old playlist. Look at art that makes you scratch your head. Seek out concerts or shows that are being presented in your community, or at your university. Spend those two hours on a Friday night visiting a festival in your city instead of binge-watching the same TV show again. If you are a musician or artist, curate an experience-focused event that gives people something to think about. To talk about, even. Support and add to your own community by also attending events and hyping up your friends’ gigs.
If you notice little points of friction in the arts world, do something about it. Be courageous and give things a go, even if you don’t know how they’ll turn out.
What I really found the most uplifting about the Changemakers Summit was the energy in the room. Everyone was being curious and trying things out, both young delegates and guest speakers.
Effort and meaning is what our world is craving so let’s embrace it, and find positive points of friction to discover something new.
