Broadsheet Journal ceases publication

ACE Open, which assumed responsibility for Broadsheet after the merger of Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia (CACSA) and Australian Experimental Art Foundation (AEAF), has decided to conclude the publication after 46 volumes, and focus on producing publications in line with its program of exhibitions.

Kate Irving, chair of ACE Open’s board, tells The Adelaide Review that the decision to wind up Broadsheet Journal was made for two reasons: new strategy and money.

“As part of the strategic direction of ACE Open – we’ve had one year in development – as that’s progressed and has taken on this new life, one of the things was making sure the publications that we do are aligned to the strategic direction of ACE,” Irving says.

Having sought feedback from funding bodies and key stakeholders, Irving also says that the rising costs of producing a printed publication three times a year were inconsistent with the funding Broadsheet was receiving.

“The support for funding Broadsheet was insufficient,” she says, “so we’ve drawn that together and looked at it all and thought the best thing we can do is make sure any of the publications we make going forward sit really nicely with the direction of ACE Open and the artists it’s supporting.”

Since it was founded in 1954, the publication has taken on various forms, from being a member newsletter, to arts bulletin, to being recognised as a fully-fledged art journal in 1984. Broadsheet Journal was a contribution to the national discussion surrounding art, supplying critique and theory as well as profiling emerging artists. Irving says that further ACE Open publications will still contribute to the national conversation, albeit more closely connected to ACE’s curated program.

“We definitely have as one of our mandates to support arts writing, so that will come together with the work we’re doing through the ACE Open program,” Irving says.

When asked whether ACE Open will continue working with the editorial staff that contributed to Broadsheet Journal over the years, Irving is non-committal but says that there is “a strong appetite to continue the relationship with existing editors and writers”.

A new publication will accompany the next ACE Open exhibition, Waqt a-tagheer: Time of change, presented by eleven, a collective of Muslim Australian contemporary visual artists, curators and writers.

Previous editions of Broadsheet Journal are available through ACE Open’s website.