A constellation of creative ventures

A single artwork, screenplay or musical instrument can transform your understanding of the world, and your place in it.

This belief unites the constellation of creative ventures within Deakin’s Faculty of Arts and Education, that will be nurtured thanks to the vision of the Eric Ormond Baker Charitable Fund.

Among the supported initiatives are a regional travelling exhibition of Wiradjuri artist Ronald Elliot Bull and scholarships for Deakin students to complete work-integrated learning internships.

The Eric Ormond Baker Charitable Fund is managed by Eric’s nephew, Graeme Baker. Mr Baker says the Fund’s investments are highly targeted, and seek to provide seed funding for promising projects that might otherwise be overlooked.

'This strategy not only helps in bringing innovative and potentially transformative projects to life, but also in challenging and expanding the criteria through which funding decisions are traditionally made,' Mr Baker says.

'By supporting projects that are on the fringe of receiving financial backing, we aim to foster a more inclusive and diverse ecosystem of funded initiatives.'

Professor Simon Tormey held senior positions at world-leading universities in Sydney and Bristol, before taking up the role of Executive Dean of Arts and Education in August last year. On an early visit to the University, Professor Tormey witnessed the Deakin difference firsthand.

'The taxi driver who took me from the airport to Deakin was a Deakin University student, a Somali man who said: "I love Deakin University. I live close by, but I do everything online. I have eight children and three jobs, and the only way I can really access university is the period between midnight and 2:00am when there’s peace and quiet in my house and we've got all the materials available.”'

Professor Tormey, who was the first in his family to attend university, is inspired by the rich interdisciplinary connections within a faculty fizzing with big ideas. He is also conscious of the resourcing required to support creative arts teaching.

'The pressure on the creative arts in particular is very considerable, and not just at Deakin, because we are encouraged to think in very instrumental and pragmatic ways about what students should be doing,' Professor Tormey says.

'Disciplines like film and animation, performing arts, virtual production and graphic design – these are energy intensive. We need large spaces to work in. We need small classes so that people get proper instruction. We need opportunities for those students to go out and to practise their particular skill out in the community and so on.'

The multi-faceted gift from the Eric Ormond Baker Charitable Fund will provide funding from this year until 2029, directly supporting student learning opportunities and community engagement programs across the breadth of the arts.

Dr Fiona Phillips is a lecturer in the School of Education who mentors the next generation of music teachers. The funds will enable the purchase of new instruments that Deakin students will use for rehearsals and ensembles, and to accompany children in schools.

Access to visual art is also vital. The late Ronald Elliot Bull was born at Lake Tyers Mission Station in 1942. Bull’s artistic talent was evident at an early age and he studied the landscapes of leading artists including J. M. W. Turner, Arthur Streeton and Hans Heysen.

Bull was often compared to the famed Arrernte artist Albert Namatjira, but his work was not included in institutional collections. Air, Ground, Gums and Country: the lost paintings of Ronald E Bull will allow a long overdue appraisal of his work and legacy. Funds received will allow the exhibition to travel throughout Victoria in 2024 and 2025.