Independent creative practitioners sometimes work as employees in small and large organisations. Depending on the particular creative practice, they often operate as sole practitioners, in artist cooperatives, or as freelance or contract workers. Regardless of the business model, all practitioners earning income from their practice must engage with the professional business requirements for a sustainable creative practice.
This activity is self-directed.
Not applicable.
1. Adopt professional work practices | 1.1 Develop a professional work ethic to support practice 1.2 Collaborate and communicate with other professionals about the business aspects of creative practice 1.3 Evaluate the skills and knowledge needed to operate as a successful creative practitioner 1.4 Evaluate own current skills and abilities and the need for further professional development 1.5 Assess the potential for using specialist expertise to complement own skills 1.6 Evaluate all aspects of own practice on an ongoing basis, as a key component of professional and personal growth |
2. Evaluate different business practices | 2.1 Investigate the different ways that creative practitioners do business 2.2 Investigate the range of business practices, systems and procedures that need to be considered as part of professional creative practice 2.3 Assess the relevance and implications of particular business structures 2.4 Consider the physical resources required by the practice and how they might be accessed 2.5 Develop an overall approach to the business aspects of own practice based on evaluation of relevant information |
3. Address financial aspects of creative practice | 3.1 Investigate financial considerations for creative practice 3.2 Research and assess different ways of commercialising work and ideas 3.3 Evaluate different ways of costing and selling creative work 3.4 Assess broader financial management requirements and their application to own practice 3.5 Develop individual approaches to financial aspects of practice |
4. Analyse the rights and obligations of creative practitioners | 4.1 Evaluate the legal and moral rights and obligations of professional creative practice 4.2 Practise work and business in ways that meet legal and moral obligations 4.3 Pursue own rights as a creative practitioner consistent with own professional and ethical standards 4.4 Establish and maintain sound approaches to safety and sustainability in professional practice |
5. Evaluate professional opportunities | 5.1 Evaluate work opportunities within and beyond the creative sectors 5.2 Be open to the potential for work opportunities in unexpected places, beyond established patterns of work 5.3 Identify and access sources of professional advice 5.4 Consider local and global opportunities for own practice 5.5 Identify and evaluate opportunities offered by current and emerging trends in the consumption of culture and creative products 5.6 Analyse the experiences of others as a way of discovering different opportunities |
Required skills |
communication skills to: collaborate with others on practice development issues interact with other creative and business professionals on management and development issues critical thinking and analytical skills to: research and evaluate information and ideas from a wide range of sources reflect on complex issues and make judgements and decisions about those issues initiative and enterprise skills to identify and pursue professional work opportunities learning and self-management skills to engage in and commit to an ongoing process of professional development and lifelong learning literacy skills to interpret varied information dealing with complex issues from a range of sources planning and organising skills to integrate a range of complex and varied information into a cohesive approach to development and management of own professional practice problem-solving skills to assess potentially competing and conflicting issues and develop solutions for own practice numeracy skills to manage the financial aspects of a professional practice technology skills to use the internet as a research tool |
Required knowledge |
types of behaviour and practice that constitute a professional way of working in the specific area of creative practice professional development opportunities for the specific area of creative practice types and sources of external expertise and professional advice for creative practitioners that could be used in professional practice, including different industry organisations general business structures, practices, systems and procedures that apply to all professional practitioners, as well as typical ways that business is done in the specific area of creative practice physical resources needed for different types of professional practice and different ways they may be set up or accessed financial management practices that apply to all professional practitioners, including financial models and structures that apply to the specific area of creative practice factors to consider when costing and selling work and methods of selling work, including commissions range of professional practice skills needed by creative practitioners range of work opportunities open to the creative practitioner, both within and outside the creative sectors trends in the consumption of culture and creative products and their impact on professional creative practice legal rights and obligations of creative practitioners, particularly in relation to intellectual property, OHS and duty of care |
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the ability to: research and evaluate a broad range of business information, including business structures, financial considerations, and legal rights and obligations develop cohesive approaches and strategies for own practice that are grounded in research and reflection articulate the range of professional opportunities for creative practice within and beyond the creative sectors apply a highly developed understanding of the arts industry, including new and emerging trends in work practice. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure access to: industry networks and information general business information. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: evaluation of presentation or documentation prepared by the candidate detailing professional practice ideas and strategies questioning and discussion about candidate’s professional plans participation in discussions with the candidate and others about professional practice in a given area review of portfolios of evidence review of third-party reports from experienced practitioners. Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy) and the needs of particular groups (e.g. people with disabilities, and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties, such as speakers of languages other than English, remote communities and those with interrupted schooling). |
Guidance information for assessment | Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Professional work ethic | building sustainable professional relationships commitment to ongoing learning and development ethical behaviours honouring professional commitments maintaining work / life balance meeting timelines. |
Skills and knowledge | creative financial interpersonal practical promotional. |
Professional development | attendance at events further study industry engagement mentoring professional memberships research. |
Specialist expertise | business financial legal marketing. |
Business practices, systems and procedures | communication financial management marketing operations safety sales technology. |
Business structures | cooperatives companies partnerships sole practitioner structures trusts. |
Physical resources | equipment materials tools work space. |
Financial considerations for creative practice | costs, including: commissions consignment fees exhibition fees distribution channels for work income, such as: awards donations government grants residencies sponsorships. |
Ways of costing and selling creative work | consignment quoting for materials quoting for time taking commissions whole project quotations. |
Financial management requirements may relate to: | accounting systems and software insurance invoicing paying accounts record keeping reporting requirements taxation issues. |
Rights and obligations | copyright and intellectual property duty of care moral rights safety of self and others taxation responsibilities. |
Beyond the creative sectors | business community organisations science technology. |
Current and emerging trends | changing social mores economic climate habits of different age groups or genders impact of technology lifestyle trends political environment. |
Industry capability – professional practice
This unit contains employability skills.
No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.