Insurance Information

Regional Arts Victoria offers Combined Liability insurance (including Public and Products Liability) to Individual Members. The cost is $200 in addition to the $60 annual membership fee = total $260 annually.

RAV takes out a master insurance policy on behalf of all Members with a combined total liability cover of $20M.

The current Combined Liability Insurance policy wording is available here and the terms and conditions can be downloaded here. A schedule including policy sub-limits of liability is available for current members in the Member dashboard.

Please note: These are current policy wordings valid from 4pm 31 October 2024 to 4pm 31 October 2025, wording for the next insurance policy period will be available 31 October 2025.

Regional Arts Victoria offers two insurance policies to for-profit Small Creative Organisation Members.

RAV takes out a master insurance policy on behalf of all Members with a combined total liability cover of $20M.

1. Personal Accident Insurance for Volunteer Workers
   A policy that will protect your volunteers for any injury sustained during their volunteer duties. This cover is included in the membership fee. Read the Volunteer Workers Insurance policy wording here.
   
2. OPTIONAL Combined Liability Insurance
   This policy includes public and products liability amongst other benefits. RAV takes out a master policy on behalf of all Members with a combined total liability cover of $20M. The Combined Liability Insurance policy wording is available here and the terms and conditions can be downloaded here. A schedule including policy sub-limits of liability is available for current members in the Member dashboard.

Please note: These are current policy wordings valid from 4pm 31 October 2023 to 4pm 31 October 2024, wording for the next insurance policy period will be available 31 October 2024.

The fee for optional Combined Liability Insurance, in addition to the Small Creative Organisation Membership, is calculated according to the Gross Annual Income of the organisation, as per the table below.

Regional Arts Victoria offers three insurance policies to not-for-profit Small Creative Organisation Members.

RAV takes out a master insurance policy on behalf of all Members with a combined total liability cover of $20M.

1. Association Liability Insurance
   An important insurance cover that provides protection to your organisation including directors, officers and committee members. This cover is included in the membership fee. Read the Association Liability Insurance policy wording here
   
2. Personal Accident Insurance for Volunteer Workers
   A policy that will protect your volunteers for any injury sustained during their volunteer duties. This cover is included in the membership fee. Read the Volunteer Workers Insurance policy wording here.
   
3. OPTIONAL Combined Liability Insurance
   This policy includes public and products liability amongst other benefits. RAV takes out a master policy on behalf of all Members with a combined total liability cover of $20M. The Combined Liability Insurance policy wording is available here and the terms and conditions can be downloaded here. A schedule including policy sub-limits of liability is available for current members in the Member dashboard.

Please note: These are current policy wordings valid from 4pm 31 October 2023 to 4pm 31 October 2024, wording for the next insurance policy period will be available 31 October 2024.

The fee for optional Combined Liability Insurance, in addition to Organisation Membership, is calculated according to the Gross Annual Income of the organisation, as per the table below.

Combined Liability insurance offers protection to you, your company and employees in the event a Third Party Person or Entity (ie. customer, supplier or a member of the public) brings a claim against you due to them being injured or sustaining property damage resulting from your business activities. The Public Liability protection also extends to Product Liability if you distribute, supply or manufacture goods as part of your business.

The main coverage sections under this policy are:

Public liability
All actual or alleged liability in respect to personal injury and/or property damage sustained by a third party while on the Insured’s premises or as a result of the conduct of the business.

Product liability
All actual or alleged civil liability in respect of personal Injury and/or property damage caused by or arising out of any products sold or otherwise supplied by the Insured to a third party. Products means anything manufactured, constructed, erected, assembled, installed, grown, extracted, produced or processed, treated, altered, modified, repaired, serviced, bottled, labelled, handled, sold, supplied, re-supplied or distributed, imported or exported, by you or on your behalf.

Advertising liability
All loss resulting from statements made at your direction with knowledge that such statements are false; or resulting from failure of performance of contract but this exclusion will not apply to claims for unauthorised appropriation of advertising ideas contrary to an implied contract; or resulting from any mistake in the advertised price of products or services; or a failure of your products or services to conform with advertised performance, quality, fitness or durability; or incurred by any insured whose principal occupation or business is advertising, broadcasting, publishing or telecasting.

Defence Costs In Addition
Defence costs arising from a covered loss for personal injury or property damage in addition to the limit of liability for the above three endorsements, public liability, product liability, advertising liability.

There are another 11 extensions and value added benefits in this policy (noted on pages 4-5), including property damage in your care, custody and control, court attendance costs, emergency costs, tenants liability and more. Please read the policy wording and contact GSA insurance if you need further information.

The cost of Combined Liability Insurance is calculated based on the Organisation’s gross annual income. RAV takes out a master insurance policy on behalf of all Members with a combined total liability cover of $20M.

Read the Combined Liability policy wording here.

Association Liability is a composite policy that combines a range of insurance products.

The intention of an Association Liability policy is to not only provide protection for the assets of the Association directors but also to the Association as a whole for defined exposures.

These include:

Professional Indemnity – protects the association against claims for alleged negligence or breach of duty arising from an act, error or omission whilst performing professional services.

Directors & Officers – protects the directors, officers and managers of the association against allegations of wrongful acts in the management of the affairs of the company

Association Entity Cover – protects the association against allegations of wrongful acts whereby the association is named specifically in an action.

Association Reimbursement Cover – provides cover for the company for any amount paid as an indemnity to its directors, officers or managers in relation to an allegation of wrongful acts in their management of the company.

Employment Practices Liability – protects the company, its directors, officers and managers against allegations of unfair dismissal, harassment or discrimination.

Crime Cover – protects the association against losses incurred through dishonesty of employees. The loss can be of money or goods

Statutory Liability – protects the association against liability for breaches of legislation. It covers insurable fines/penalties, legal costs and investigative fees e.g. Consumer Protection, Employment Practices, Work Health and Safety Law, Environmental Law.

Tax Investigation Cover – covers the association to assist in meeting the investigation costs by their tax accountants or tax agents in the event of receiving an ATO notice regarding their liability to pay income tax, GST, sales tax etc.

RAV takes out a master insurance policy on behalf of all Members with a combined total liability cover of $10M. Excesses apply, though these vary depending on the policy section.

Read the Association Liability Policy wording here.

Personal Accident Insurance for Volunteer Workers protects volunteers and members from expenses incurred due to injury Volunteer Workers Insurance (also known as Volunteers Personal Accident Insurance or Volunteer Accident Insurance) protects your volunteers if they are injured while undertaking voluntary work on your behalf.

Voluntary Workers Insurance can provide cover for:

• Dental Benefits
• Accidental Death and Disablement
• Domestic Home Help
• Weekly Injury Benefit
• Non-Medicare Medical Expenses

For full details of all the benefits and limits of the policy you should read the policy wording and the policy schedule (current members can access this in the membership dashboard).

Cover under the Regional Arts Victoria member policy is endorsed to cover insured persons up to 90 years old.

Read the Volunteer Workers Insurance policy wording here.

A Betrayal of Trust inclusion offers protection to you, your company and employees in the event a person under 18 alleges sexual misconduct against you in the course of your work with them. This is not a standalone policy, but an extension to a Combined Liability cover.

RAV’s Insurance partner GSA Insurance can offer quotes and placements of these extensions for some Small Creative Organisation Members. To apply for the cover your organisation will need to complete the GSA application form and a Betrayal of Trust questionnaire. The cover is offered as a stand-alone policy not as part of RAV’s Master Combined Liability policy.

For more information about being a Child Safe Organisation visit our Member Resource (locked for members only).

Contact GSA insurance if you need further information about the policy extension and if it will be appropriate for you.

The cost of Combined Liability Insurance is calculated based on the Organisation’s gross annual income. The eligibility and cost of the Betrayal of Trust Extension will be based on responses to the questionnaire.

Currently the above policies are the only options under RAVs insurance program. This because they are the most commonly required insurances and the ones that we can access as group or master policy covers.

Other covers that you might consider for your small creative business or sole trader operation include: professional indemnity, property cover, business interruption cover, personal accident or income protection cover, and cyber liability. See our Fact Sheet for more information.

GSA Insurance are able to provide our members with access to Betrayal of Trust Insurance. This cover is designed for organisations who work with children and young people under 18 years old. See the above FAQ for more information.

To begin your search for additional policies go to: BizCover*
*Please note that Regional Arts Victoria does not endorse these products and members should read the policy details carefully to decide if a product is right for you.

If you are applying for Combined Liability Insurance ($20m coverage), please carefully read the Policy Documents available on our website and contact the insurance broker if required, to ensure that the coverage is suitable for you. You will need to provide the following information to GSA Insurance:

1. Your contact details (this should be the same as the contact for your RAV Membership)
2. The number of years you have been operating your creative practice
3. Your entity type (e.g. Sole Trader, NFP, Partnership)
4. Your Gross Annual Income
5. Number of activities held in the past 12 months
6. Average attendees per event
7. Information about your contracts, contractors and subcontractors
8. Information about how your products are produced (if applicable)
9. Information about use of hazardous substances
10. Disclosure about claims, investigations and your circumstances

If you need to note an interested party this can be advised to GSA insurance via email.

You must answer all questions on your insurance form truthfully, as failure to tell them is fraudulent and they may refuse to pay a claim.

If you are applying for

• Combined Liability Insurance ($20m coverage)
• Association Liability Insurance
• Personal Accident Insurance for Volunteer Workers

Please carefully read the Policy documents and contact GSA Insurance Brokers if required, to ensure that the coverage is suitable for you. Please ensure you have the following information:

1. Contact details for the organisation
2. An assigned main contact person for your Insurance Policy (this should be the same as the contact for your RAV Membership)
3. The number of members you have (if applicable)
4. The number of years you have been operating
5. The number of staff you employ and the total amount of wages you pay
6. Your entity type (e.g. Sole Trader, NFP, Partnership)
7. Your organisation’s Gross Annual Income
8. Number of activities/events held in the past 12 months and that you intend to hold in the next 12 months – include all activities/events that involve third-party attendees (the public). Do not include staff/volunteer events.
9. Average attendees per activity/event
10. Information about your contracts, contractors and subcontractors
11. Information about how your products are produced (if applicable)
12. Information about use of hazardous substances
13. Disclosure about claims, investigations and your circumstances

If you are opting in for Combined Liability Insurance and you need to note an interested party this can be advised to GSA insurance via email.

You must answer all questions on your insurance form truthfully, as failure to tell them is fraudulent and they may refuse to pay a claim.

Gross Annual Income is the total annual income from all sources before tax. This includes all income sources, for example:

• Grants received this year
• Sales
• Donations
• The income of groups you plan to auspice
• Dividends
• Major events (for biennial events, calculate an average over two years)

The stated Gross Annual Income should be evidenced in your financial statements. Organisation Members are able to update the income annually via the renewal process.

The figure you provide is only your creative practice income, and not any other employment or income you have. You are able to provide an estimate if the exact figure is not known e.g. If you receive income from selling your artwork and you are a salaried schoolteacher part-time, you do not include your salary income in this figure.

Yes, funding from grants is included in the Gross Annual Income. If the organisation receives a grant one year but not the next, they may update the Gross Annual Income via the online renewal form each year, and the fee for optional Combined Liability Insurance will be adjusted accordingly.

If your Organisation is new, you can put $0 on the RAV Membership application form. If you are applying for insurance, please provide an estimate on the GSA Insurance application form, you could base this off of any budgets you have made to project your income.

GSA Insurance Brokers ask about your Gross Annual Income as a required question, as it is used to determine the premium that is charged for the master insurance policy. This is the most accurate way that the insurer can assess your level of business activity.

When you fill out the insurance form with GSA (after our application form), we are unable to see that information and they do not share it with us. You can contact GSA directly if you questions or concerns about the collection of gross annual income information.

The policy includes the following activities of Regional Arts Victoria and our financial Members:

• Temporary exhibitions and installations
• Presenting of/at small festivals and events for audiences of up to 5,000 per event, including performing arts, community parades, exhibitions, lectures, writing/reading, film, dinner dances
• Presenting performances, theatre productions, recitals, concerts, film nights, and workshops or classes for all art forms
• Circus performance and physical theatre (subject to Specific Activities Exclusion)
• Community arts projects
• Artist in residence and projects for all art forms
• Managing your venue/studio/gallery
• Conducting outings to visit arts events
• Retailing of associated items at temporary venues including markets, stalls, exhibitions and conferences
• Curating and organising exhibitions
• Conservation, preservation and maintenance of artworks

If your activities/events fall outside this description, or have questions about these inclusions, please contact GSA Insurance Brokers to discuss. You may still be able to be covered under the policy.

When filling out your insurance forms include all events/activities that involve a third-party attendees (members of the public) e.g. small art classes, festivals, residencies, concerts. Do not include things that only involve your own organisation, e.g. Board meetings, staff retreats etc.

The policy excludes the following activities of Regional Arts Victoria and our financial Members:

• Cutting or welding that is NOT in full compliance with Australian Standard 1674 (Safety and Welding and Allied Processes)
• Use of a vehicle at a track or course designed or used for any driving, game, match, race etc
• Working at heights at which the work is performed exceeds three metres in height
• Events exclusions are: Cancellation or non-appearance; Pyrotechnics; Mechanical amusement rides; Inflatables; Temporary elevated seating; Firearms; Participation in respect of contact sports; Events exceeding 5,000 attendees daily.
• Circus performances should check exclusion details with the insurance broker.
• Use of bonfires, fire pits, fire displays or fireworks, Abseiling, Horse riding, Quad biking, Bar fly, Hot Air ballooning, Reverse Bungee, Base Jumping, Use of Inflatables, Rock Climbing, Use of Bouncing Castles, Jet Skiing, Sailing, Boxing, Kayaking, Sand Yachting, Bungee Jumping, Kite Surfing, Scuba Diving, Segways, Canoeing, Martial Arts, Skiing Snowboarding, Caving, Micro-lighting, Sky Diving, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Mixed Martial Arts, Shooting, Diving, Motor Racing, Speed Boating, Extreme Sports, Mountaineering, Surfing, Use of Fairground Rides, Offshore Activities, Survival Training Courses, Use of Fireworks, Paintball, Wall Climbing, Free Jumping, Parachuting, Waterskiing, Go Karting, Paragliding, White Water Rafting, Hang Gliding, Physical Team Building Exercises, Wind Surfing, Pot Holing, Wingsuit Flying, Power Boating, Zorbing, Use of Pyrotecnics are all excluded.
• Diseases, viruses, COVID-19 and pandemic and epidemic.
• Betrayal of Trust (see FAQ above for more information).

If your activities/events include any of the above, or have questions about these inclusions, please contact GSA Insurance Brokers to discuss. You may still be able to be covered under the policy.

Everyone’s insurance needs are varied, however, some venues/premises/councils require certain types and levels of insurance for creatives and organisations using their premises and some funders will require insurances as part of your funding agreement.

An organisation’s volunteers may also need to be covered for any activities they perform throughout the year, regardless of whether it is on the day of an event. If you have Committee Members they should be insured to protect them from personal liability.

We advise that applicants who are uncertain of their insurance needs speak to our insurance broker and clarify their insurance requirements with any external parties.

you can also read our Insurance Fact Sheet for more information on various insurances for sole traders and small creative organisations to consider.

Yes. We access heavily discounted insurance on an annual basis. The premium charged for the Insurance scheme is a minimum deposit premium and is the same cost for one day or up to 12 months. The insurer will only accept a 12-month policy, and this will cover you for all business activities listed under the Insurance Policies above.

Your association members and volunteers may need to be covered throughout the whole year if they are helping with any aspect of preparation – not just for the event day.

There are specific instances where your members would be covered by the General Liability insurance policy:

• Individual members of Organisation Members
• Instances where an Organisation Member is auspicing a group
• Instances where an Organisation Member is directly overseeing the activities of a group
• Instances where your members are performing activities as volunteers e.g., at your events.

The activities of groups that are members of yours would otherwise not be covered by the insurance. If in doubt, please contact GSA Insurance.

If the event is being produced on behalf of the organisation or individual member and the Event Manager is a paid employee or a Member of the organisation, the Event Manager will be covered under the Organisation’s liability policy.

If an unrelated individual is involved in the production of an arts event for an Organisation Member and is engaged as a contractor, they would be required to arrange their own insurance.

Insurance is also available to Individual Regional Arts Victoria Members for the approved business activities, including presenting of small festivals and events for audiences of up to 5,000 per event. If you are a Small Creative Organisation who has contractors, you may like to suggest an Individual Membership to your contractors.

The Combined Liability cover will insure members of the public who visit your exhibition.

However, our insurance policies do not insure artwork in a gallery. Members would need to obtain a business or property insurance policy to cover the physical property.

The only time damage to artwork could be insured is if a Member is found to be negligent and the owner of work were to hold the Member legally liable.

For example:

• If you lock up a building and someone breaks in and steals an artwork, you are not legally liable.
• If you leave the building unlocked and someone breaks in, you then may be held legally liable.

For further information, please contact GSA Insurance Brokers.

If the activities conducted by the auspice (the group or person requiring support) fit within the parameters of activities covered under the policy, and the income from the auspicee is included in the auspicor’s (the group providing support)
reported Gross Annual Income, then the auspice activity will be covered.

You should have a formal auspice agreement in place.

If a previously covered Member has not completed payment towards the current year’s premium by 15 November each year, an email will be sent notifying them that the organisation is no longer covered under Regional Arts Victoria’s Insurance Policies. We will notify members in writing should we expect that cover under this insurance will be discontinued or will not be renewed.

The decision as to whether a party is legally liable rests with the insurance company and/or the courts. You should ensure that other parties with whom you are engaged also have Public and Products Liability Insurance. You should never admit liability in any way, as it may prejudice your claim.

Regional Arts Victoria acts as a group purchasing body, buying a master general liability insurance policy on behalf of all Members, through our broker, GSA. Members then apply and contribute to this policy for a set cost. The policy runs for one year from 31 October annually, regardless of the application date.

Regional Arts Victoria does not take a commission from each insurance fee paid by members.

As Regional Arts Victoria does not hold an Australian Financial Services License, you should consider obtaining your own financial product advice from a person and/or organisation qualified to give such advice under an Australian Financial Services License.

As a purchasing body, Regional Arts Victoria has engaged GSA (AFS License Number 238477) to arrange policies for our members. You may, at any time, contact GSA directly to confirm that our Membership insurance is in place and remains current.

Regional Arts Victoria does not receive any form of remuneration (including commission) or other benefits that are reasonably attributable to the purchasing activity from the insurer, a broker or any other person for coverage of this policy.

Our insurance is the most affordable and comprehensive arts insurance available in Victoria.

We ask members to renew in July-September each year to negotiate a master insurance policy for all members in October. This is how we keep costs low, and why we can only provide a yearly insurance option.

Both Association Liability Insurance and Personal Accident Insurance for Volunteer Workers are included in the Organisation Membership Base Fee at a fixed price.

A 50% discount on membership is provided for members of RAV Member organisations. No discount is provided for insurance.

We take out the policy annually from 4pm 31 October to 4pm 31 October each year. If you are ceasing operations for part of the year you cannot pause the policy (this is standard with the types of policies that we offer). You will need to consider if you need to renew the policy for the following year.

Also, if you are a small creative organisation, consider if your Board or volunteers will still be in operation and if you should retain your RAV Membership to access these policies.

If you need to make a revision to your answers on the GSA form after you have submitted it, please email [email protected]