Welcome to the 42nd edition of NiTRO, which examines a broad range of approaches and viewpoints on the Creative Arts PhD, edited by David Cross and Jenny WIlson.
The recent times have proved very challenging for our emerging and early career academics, who have witnessed staffing cuts and high pressure work environments around them, disparaging attitudes from the federal government and ongoing “bad news” stories around universities in most media coverage. However, perhaps the election results provide us with something that may feel foreign to many academics – established and emergent – hope. Hope that things can change, can reset, can be better.
The commitment to an Australian Universities Accord from the Minister for Education, Jason Clare MP, the reviving of the Creative Australia policy from the Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke MP, and the appointment of a Special Envoy for the Arts in Susan Templeman MP are at a minimum, a chance for profile, consultation and conversation. As such, a focus on the ways we can support the next generation of creative arts professionals and academics is timely.