Institute of Advanced Studies

On the track, off the track and down the track: Deciding the now and surviving the future

The Holmes à Court Gallery presented a Manning Clark House Day of Ideas for the 2007 PIAF Words and Ideas Program, in association with the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Western Australia,  on 17 February 2007

The speakers included:

• Shelley Gare, Writer
• Adrian Glamorgan, Quaker, writer, teacher, activist
• Eva Nagomara, artist, senior woman, Balgo Community
• Pitjantjatjara community members
• Hartley Slater, Professor of Philosophy
• Chrissie Parrot, independent dance artist

Set against the backdrop of the exhibition Down the track which presents work from Balgo artists purchased by the Holmes à Court collection more than a decade ago, and using both the artworks and Abraham Maslow's familiar Hierarchy of Needs as reference points, this program drew together varied and often overlooked components of what might constitute a humane, civilised and progressive society. Emphasising the significance of the welfare of people, and the environment we occupy and rely upon for survival, the program was designed around the philosophical, psychological, sociological, and economic imperatives that shape our individual, community and global needs.

Respected speakers from around Australia shared with the audience their varied perspectives on human needs and motivation, on deprivation and excess, and examined the notion that the attainment of basic community and individual needs is fundamental to sustainable cultures and environments. They asked whether our governments and policy makers designed our futures with the holistic requirements of humanity and our planet in mind.

This discussion considered issues as broad as global warming, indigenous cultures, caring for our communities and children, and planning business and economic strategies.