Deakin University appoints arts management leader as foundation Chair in Arts and Entertainment Management

Deakin University has appointed Dr Ruth Rentschler as the foundation Chair of Arts and Entertainment Management.

Professor Rentschler is considered to be the leading authority on arts governance and arts marketing in Australia. She has conducted nationally funded research projects and developed the first distance arts and entertainment management program in Australia.

"Deakin is indeed fortunate to have one of the world's leading specialists in the growing discipline of arts management," said Professor Philip Clarke, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law. "There are only three other chairs in Arts Management in the world, with the others being located in London, Montreal and Bordeaux.

"Professor Rentschler is a widely published arts management academic and author, and deputy chair of the board of Multicultural Arts Victoria. She brings a wealth of expertise to the position.

"This is a special appointment which shows how Deakin University is committed to managing culture and creativity, and especially the education of aspiring arts managers," he said.

Professor Rentschler said the arts have a vital role to play in overcoming cultural difference.

"Deakin University is the perfect place for this role," she said. "My vision is to encourage social harmony through the arts. Deakin has just recently publicly committed itself to the protection of human rights and the principles of cultural diversity by signing the Victorian Charter of Rights.

"In a multicultural society such as Australia, where there has been some social unrest, the arts with their emphasis on diversity and social justice have a vital role to play in bringing people together and creating harmony."