New National Culture policy announced

The Commonwealth Government's new National Cultural Policy was released on January 30. Called Revive, it is billed as "a five-year plan to renew and revive Australia's arts, entertainment and cultural sector".

It has been developed with the advice of five Review Panels and an Advisory Group and a series of "town hall" public meetings and consultations. The result is a document setting out five "pillars and principles" and an overall funding commitment of $286 million.

The centrepiece of Revive is the establishment of Creative Australia, within the already existing Australia Council, which will be funded $199 million over four years from 2023-24.

Creative Australia wil be the umbrella for a number of separate agencies. These wiil be: a First Nations-led Board; a Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces (which will provide advice on issues of pay, safety, codes of conduct and welfare across the sector); Music Australia; and Writers Australia.

The Australia Council has welcomed the Policy, describing it as "a transformational step in the evolution of the Australia Council". ". . . the return of investment to the Australia Council will enable us to effectively support the sector through our existing programs to deliver greater impact in areas including youth and community arts," says CEO Adrian Collette (who was one of the advisors). 

The five "pillars" set out the Government’s strategic objectives:

• First Nations First: Recognising and respecting the crucial place of First Nations stories at the centre of Australia's arts and culture.
• A Place for Every Story: Reflecting the breadth of our stories and the contribution of all Australians as the creators of culture.
• Centrality of the Artist: Supporting the artist as worker and celebrating artists as creators.
• Strong Cultural Infrastructure: Providing support across the spectrum of institutions which sustain our arts, culture and heritage.
• Engaging the Audience: Making sure our stories connect with people at home and abroad.

The "principles" will guide the Government’s actions and investments over the next five years:

•        First Nations arts and culture are First Nations led.
•        All Australians, regardless of language, literacy, geography, age or education, have the opportunity to access and participate in arts and culture.
•        Artists and arts workers have career structures that are long-term and sustainable, supported by vocational pathways.
•        Australian students have the opportunity to receive an education that includes culture, creativity, humanities and the arts.
•        Creative talent is nurtured through fair remuneration, industry standards and safe and inclusive work cultures.
•        Arts and cultural organisations have representation and leadership that is reflective of contemporary Australia.
•        Cultural infrastructure, including galleries, libraries, museums, archives and digital collections, is restored, built and maintained.
•        Australian stories are seen and heard, regardless of platform.
•        Creative industries and practice are future focused, technology enabled, networked and globally recognised, including through reciprocal exchange, export and cultural diplomacy.
•        Arts and culture are generative (creating new works and supporting emerging artists) and preservative (protecting heritage and conserving cultural memory).

 Implementation of the policy will be overseen by a National Cultural Policy Steering Committee, comprised of representatives across government. In the first phase of implementation, establishing clear benchmarks will be a priority to measure success and monitor and evaluate progress to inform the development of an updated National Cultural Policy in 2027.

To read the full document, go here.
See Editor's Comment here.