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30 June 2022

2022 AMC Annual General Meeting summary


2022 AMC Annual General Meeting summary

The AMC hosted a virtual annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday 23 June 2022, chaired by AMC Board Chair Marshall McGuire and attended by 23 AMC members.

Marshall and AMC CEO Cath Haridy each addressed the membership, providing a report on the 2021 year and looking ahead.


Meeting proceedings

Chair's Report

Approaching 12 months as Chair, Marshall highlighted the ongoing support of the Australia Council for the Arts and APRA AMCOS, which remains critical to the operation of the AMC.


Marshall acknowledged a year of changes, including Cath Haridy's appointment as AMC CEO in July 2021 and the departure of AMC Board members Genevieve Lacey, Margaret Barrett and Jana Gibson. New Board members Gina Williams AM, Tracy Morgan and Alison Wright were appointed in November 2021. The AMC also farewelled outstanding members of staff - Anni Heino, and Judith Foster. We thank them for their outstanding contribution to the AMC and to Australian music more broadly. Chris Gardoll, AMC Company Secretary also departed after many years of dedicated service to the AMC. In September 2021, we welcomed Laura Capel to the role of Company Secretary.

He noted that this year, two Board sub-committees were also established to strengthen the governance of the organisation - an Audit, Finance & Governance Committee, chaired by Tracy Morgan; and a Nominations Committee, chaired by Alison Wright. Both sub-committees serve to provide greater rigour and oversight of the challenges and risks facing us as we move forward. As always, we're seeking to further establish and solidify the value of the AMC to our members, and all those who use our services - composers, creators, performers, educators, venues - both in Australia and internationally.

Marshall highlighted the enormous generosity of the private donors who stepped forward last year to contribute funds to the AMC's "Momentum" commissioning initiative - Cinque Artist Management, Richard and Sue Willgoss, Charles Davidson and an anonymous donor. These funds allowed members of our community to continue creating when all other opportunities were extinguished. He thanked those donors, and the many others who have been mentioned throughout the year.

Following another year of disruption to the industry, he acknowledged the JobKeeper and Jobsaver programs, which supported the staff of AMC. Finally, he gave thanks to the AMC staff, under the leadership of CEO Cath Haridy, who have continued to provide exemplary service despite the challenges of COVID-19.

CEO's Report

In the lead up to her first anniversary as CEO, Cath Haridy addressed the membership, noting it has been an incredible time of change both internally at the AMC, and externally in our community. The first 6 months were deeply affected by disruptions, from ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks to the consequent lockdowns, and this manifested in an inability for us all to move around the country easily. The impact on the broader musical community has been devastating to opportunities to compose and perform live. The AMCs service was considerably affected, however cushioned by the ongoing support we received at the toughest moments.

Cath prioritised meeting as many of the AMC's members and stakeholders as she could during this time, and alongside this consulted with the AMC team to develop an understanding of what the organisation is valued for. This is most certainly a commitment to our vital, living Australian Music collection, and the artists that create it.

Her mission in those first six months was to streamline and update all areas of the organisation's operations. She took the time to consult and listen to our community and look at how we could update our organisational structure and its processes, with our people and service platform representing the foundation.

Cath has also worked to position the AMC as a premier advocacy body for contemporary music, increasing visibility for our artists and their works.

Cath gave thanks to outgoing staff members Judith Foster and Anni Heino. Both Judith and Anni were integral to the operations of the AMC for many years - both known for their passion and dedication to the art music community. They left a unique, indelible mark on the organisation.

The care and wellbeing of our people was a top priority during 2021. We initiated regular "check ins" with senior members of the team to monitor workflows. We also undertook an extensive wages benchmarking exercise for each team member in relation to their relevant award classification or wage base. We consulted with each individual through this process and brought everyone up to date on new agreements.

Cath reported on several initiatives and larger scale projects initiated during the second half of 2021, including:

  • Putting a plan in place for modernisation of our technology and systems internally
  • Commencing the initial work to explore a new external platform transformation
  • Launching the reformatted Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address based on a virtual delivery and promoting a diverse panel of partitioners across the art music community
  • Partnering with ABC Classic and Jazz for the delivery of wonderful Australian performances and interviews through AusMusic month in November
  • Partnering with Sounds Australia to lead a virtual Australian delegation at Jazzahead, and working with the wonderful Ngarra-Burria First Nations development program
  • Participating in various meetings and workshops with the International Association of Music Information Centres and International Society for Contemporary Music, of which we are the Australian Section member. We also continued our valuable involvement with the European Jazz Network, the International Association of Music Libraries, and the Australian Copyright Council. Further, we joined forces with other Arts Peak bodies meeting on a regular basis to share information and look for common ground in advocacy for our creators and performers
  • Delivering mental health first aid training to our AMC team through Support Act and promoting their services and wellbeing helpline throughout the community
  • Securing a deeper understanding of our financial position
  • Streamlining our bank accounts and enlisted external bookeeping assistance to help us with our processes (with a big thanks to Bernadette Morley and Erin Crouch)
  • And, commencing work on a cultural policy which will outline the usage of first people's language and story in composition. This is currently undergoing consultation within the community.

Cath emphasised what a great honour it has been to work with Genevieve Lacey as AMC Chair, and further, to welcome the wonderful Marshall McGuire to the role. She also thanked Jana Gibson and Margaret Barrett who departed the Board in November 2021 after many years of service; Paul Mason for being an exceptionally wonderful acting CEO prior to commencing as CEO; and former CEO John Davis for his helpful introductions to many of you in my first few months.

Cath acknowledged the ongoing relationship with major funding partner the Australia Council for the Arts and its team and peers, as well as the APRA AMCOS Board, and APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston for his support and guidance. As we enter a time of transformation and change, we hope that you will all join us as we dive into a world of possibilities for the AMC, with renewed vigor and focus.

Looking ahead to 2022 and beyond, Cath noted we have committed to a full review of the strategic plan and associated goals. The process will be led by Cath and the AMC Board, with consultation to be sought from members and other key stakeholders. She also noted a member survey was being planned to allow the wider membership to have their say and provide valuable insights.

2021 Annual Financial Report

AMC Board member and Chair of its Audit, Finance and Governance Committee Tracy Morgan presented the 2021 AMC Annual Financial Report, which was made available to members prior to the meeting. She noted that on balance, the AMC achieved a solid financial performance in a challenging environment.

The acceptance of the 2021 financial statements was moved and seconded accepted by the AMC membership.

Other Business

The AMC members in attendance were invited to make comments and ask questions of the Board and management.




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