Got a question? Want to know about artists' fees and wages? Indigenous protocol? Dealing with commercial galleries? Copyright?
The Advice Centre responds to NAVA’s most frequently asked questions.
There are a variety of situations in which artists and artworkers are asked to stipulate payments for either their goods or services. In Australia visual artists and craftspeople are rarely covered by wage-setting instruments such as awards because they are not generally classified as employees.
NAVA has developed a series of ‘benchmark’ minimum fees that artists or artworkers can use when negotiating fees and wages or when determining a labour component for a grant application, setting an exhibition loan fee or tendering for a project.
Fees and Wages. Chapter 5 of the NAVA Code of Practice, 2nd edition, 2004.
ISBN 0 9751929 0 6.
Purchase the full publication.
Read the chapter online.
Artists’ Scales of Fees and Wages. Published by NAVA, 16 pages, 2004 edition.
Note: this information replicates Chapter 5 of the NAVA Code of Practice.
N.B. Please be aware that the rates for Fees and Wages in the 2nd edition of The Code of Practice for the Australian Visual Arts and Craft Sector are from 2004 and need to be adjusted by CPI. To do this you add the following percentages cumulatively to each rate.
2005 Average 2.7%
2006 Average 3.6%
2007 Average 3.4%
2008 Average 4.5%
Reference: Reserve Bank website – Measures of Consumer Price Index Inflation
For example: if the rate in 2004 is $100
2005 $100 + 2.7% = $102.70
2006 $102.70 + 3.6% = $106.40 (rounded up)
2007 $106.40 + 3.4% = $110.02
2008 $110.02 + 4.5% = $114.97
