ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection
HMSS 0165 Christian Media Association Records
Scope and content notes
Call Number |
HMSS 0165 |
Collection |
Christian Media Association Records |
Date Range |
1981-2005 |
Quantity |
1.2 m (6 manuscript boxes and 1 oversize folder) |
Access Conditions |
open |
Copying Conditions |
unstated |
Related Collections |
In 1981 the ACT Christian Television and Radio Association was formed, to be a forum for the Christian church organisations of the ACT Churches Council so that they could provide a single voice in the media. This was achieved principally by providing video advertisements on local commercial television channels that were played in the nature of public service announcements. The Association was affiliated with the Australian Christian Media Association (ACMA).
In 1986 the name was changed to Christian Media Association, ACT. Over the next 17 years the CMA (ACT) produced and promoted Christian Spots for television, especially with Channel Seven and later Channel Ten. It also offered forums for discussion on topics from media outlets, and from 1995 encouraged children from all over the ACT and NSW to become involved in Christian Art Competitions.
A media conference in 2001, entitled Christianity and the Media: Is Christianity News? was successful, but a proposed series of evening seminars never eventuated, and in 2002 it was clear that CMA ACT’s goals and purposes were generally being served by its constituent organisations, and that free-to-air television was becoming difficult to source and fund. The Association was wound up in 2003.
The assets should have reverted to the Churches Centre, but this also was being wound up, so it was decided that the assets should fund an art competition managed by the Australian National University: the Phoenix Prize for spiritual art. The proposal was that the prize could be funded for some four years during which the ANU would seek additional donations to create what would be, in effect, a perpetual prize. It was intended to be complementary to the Blake Prize for Religious Art.
The name denotes in part that "the prize rises from the ashes of the donating organisation". The Phoenix Prize requires that spirituality is to be the point of the art, but puts no limitation on art medium or manifestation. The inaugural competition contained works of painting, sculpture, installation and weaving, depicting motifs clearly deriving from Christianity, tarot, homosexuality and the spirituality of Australian Aborigines.
The collection includes minutes, correspondence, media bites for exposure of Christian issues for TV and radio stations in the Canberra region, and community service notices. Samples of children’s artworks from the Christmas Art Competitions are also included.
BOX LIST
BOX |
DESCRIPTION |
QTY |
DATE RANGE |
|
MINUTES |
|
1981 – 2005 |
1 |
Christian Television and Radio Association of the ACT Christian Media Association ACT |
1 file |
1981 – 1988 |
1 |
Christian Media Association ACT |
3 files |
1988 – 1997 |
2 |
Minutes February 1998 – August 2002 |
1 file |
1998 – 2002 |
2 |
Minutes October 2002 – July 2003 |
1 file |
2002 – 2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
CONSTITUTION OF CHRISTIAN MEDIA ASSOCIATION ACT |
|
1992 – 1999 |
2 |
Constitutions 1992 and 1999 |
2 items |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CORRESPONDENCE |
|
1993 – 2005 |
2 |
Correspondence in and out 25 January – 1 December 1993 |
1 file |
1993 |
3 |
Correspondence in and out February 1994 – 21 June 2000 |
2 files |
1994 – 2000 |
4 |
Correspondence in and out |
2 files |
2000 – 2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
PUBLICATIONS |
|
1992 – 2001 |
4 |
One World, Many Nations, One Saviour (poster) – correspondence and distribution list |
1 sleeve |
April 1999 |
5 |
One Solitary Life (poster) – correspondence and distribution |
3 folders |
1996 – 1997 |
5 |
People People; Being Challenged by People with Faith. 13 part study series in two sections: Responding to Challenge and The Church in the World. November 1995. Workbook |
1 booklet |
1995 |
5 |
Correspondence and lists relating to distribution of People People |
1 folder |
July 1996 – October 1997 |
5 |
Correspondence, minutes and discussion papers relating to: University of Canberra, Communication Research Methods, Research Reports: |
1 folder |
1995 – 2001 |
5 |
Christian Media Association ACT. Living with the Media; Advice and Guidelines for Church Communicators, groups, parishes and schools. |
1 booklet |
May 1992 |
5 |
Christian Media: a Christian presence in the modern marketplace |
1 sleeve |
1998 |
5 |
Christian Media Association ACT website pages |
1 sleeve |
2001 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS ART COMPETITION |
|
1997 – 2001 |
5 |
Correspondence, mailing lists, certificates, lists of prize winners and participants, photographs |
4 folders |
1997 – 2001 |
7 |
Selected entries in the 2001 Christmas Art Competition |
1 oversize folder |
2001 |
|
|
|
|
|
Is Christianity News? Media conference held in Canberra February 2001 |
|
|
5 |
Correspondence, attendance lists and conference agenda |
1 folder |
2000 – 2001 |
6 |
Planning papers, correspondence, etc |
1 CD |
2000 – 2001 |
|
|
|
|
|
RECORDED MEDIA |
|
1985 – 1999 |
|
Videotapes |
|
|
6 |
Set of 5 television broadcast tapes, submasters, made by Capital Television for Christian Media Association ACT |
5 reels |
9 February 1995 |
6 |
ACT Christian Media Association, master broadcast videocassette, 2 copies |
2 videocassettes |
1999 |
6 |
Christian Media Association. Christmas Competition, broadcast videocassette, 15 grabs |
1 videocassette |
19 November 1996 |
6 |
Catholic Communications. ACMA Show Reel |
1 videocassette |
|
6 |
Combined Churches Media Service. Canberra; broadcast on ABC |
1 videocassette |
11 August 1985 |
6 |
People People; Being Challenged by People with Faith. 13 part study series in two sections: Responding to Challenge and The Church in the World. 2 copies of videocassette |
2 videocassettes |
1995 |
|
|
|
|
|
POSTERS |
|
1996 – 1999 |
7 |
One Solitary Life, 1996 |
|
1996 – 1999 |