SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.- Telstra today announced it had renewed its sponsorship of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), providing the public with free access to a host of exhibitions and events over the next three years.
Telstra and the MCA have agreed to continue working collaboratively on a number of new media initiatives, beginning with a series of online chats with artists.
"As part of its sponsorship, Telstra will continue to underwrite free admission to the Museum and broaden the community’s access to exhibitions, activities and the artists themselves through the internet and new media technology," said MCA Director, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor.
Telstra’s Group Managing Director Consumer and Marketing, Mr Ted Pretty, who engineered the original MCA partnership in 2000, said Telstra had helped make art more accessible to a broader audience through its sponsorships.
"The MCA reflects Telstra’s own strengths which include innovation, inspiration and improving access to information and entertainment through communications," Mr Pretty said.
"We evaluated the benefits of this sponsorship to the broader community with feedback from students, our staff and our customers and given its previous success we have re-committed for another three years.
"The MCA clearly delivers a tangible benefit. More Sydneysiders, as well as regional and interstate visitors are exposed to contemporary art."
Telstra’s focus now is to continue to deliver exciting new initiatives to support its sponsorship with the aim of broadening accessibility.  Telstra will use its online capabilities to work with the MCA to engage new audiences, including those using the internet.
Mr Pretty said Telstra would focus on a series of online chat sessions with some of the world’s leading contemporary artists, so people who might never visit the MCA could chat with artists from around the world.
The MCA/Telstra partnership was formed in March 2000. Since the introduction of free admission visitor numbers to Museum exhibition has increased by over 150 per cent.
In 2002, Telstra and the MCA were awarded a coveted ABAF (Australia Business for the Arts Foundation) award for their partnership work.
Through Telstra Bigpond, anyone with access to the internet can chat with artists such as Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone (26 June, 9-10pm), who is considered one of Europe’s leading new age artists, and renowned German photographer and film-maker Wim Wenders (2 July, 6-7pm).  MCA Director, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor will also participate in an online discussion from the 2003 Venice Biennale (12 June, 8-9pm).
The MCA has become part of Telstra’s Broadband Guide, extending Telstra’s Entertainment and Arts streaming content.  This site presents interviews with artists and visions of their work. It currently features an interview with Californian multimedia artist, Doug Aitken, an excerpt from his video installation New Ocean (Cycle), and information about the MCA’s Liquid Sea exhibition.