SYDNEY—The Australia Council released a draft document yesterday as the country's first step toward outlining children-in-art protocols, the Australian reports. In the wake of the controversy surrounding Bill Henson's photographs of nude children, the council invited individuals and groups to express their views on the subject, hoping to incorporate public opinions into the protocols. Forty-eight formal responses were received, all of which are included in the draft report.

The document focuses on four central areas: making sure children are protected from when the artwork is created until when it is shown; how to relate the nature and content of the material to viewers; protecting children from being exploited; and creating guidelines while maintaining the council's support of artists and artistic freedom.

Respondents included academics, community and government bodies, and children's right activists. According to the document, many people expressed genuine concern for the rights of the artists: "Upholding the freedom of practice and expression in the arts was a key consideration raised by many stakeholders," it says.

The respondents were generally divided between those in favor of the protocols and those who fear that their creation will lead to the censorship of artists.

The draft document will be posted on the council's website next month. The protocols will take effect January 1, 2009.