It has been announced that On January 30th, 2023, the Australian Government will be releasing its National Cultural Policy, titled “Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place.” This five-year plan aims to renew and revive Australia’s arts, entertainment, and cultural sector by providing new momentum for creative workers, organizations, and audiences to thrive and grow. The policy is structured around five interconnected pillars: First Nations First, A Place for Every Story, Centrality of the Artist, Strong Cultural Infrastructure, and Engaging the Audience.
The First Nations First pillar recognizes and respects the crucial place of First Nations stories at the center of Australia’s arts and culture. The A Place for Every Story pillar reflects the breadth of Australia’s stories and the contributions of all Australians as creators of culture. The Centrality of the Artist pillar supports the artist as a worker and celebrates artists as creators. The Strong Cultural Infrastructure pillar provides support across the spectrum of institutions that sustain Australia’s arts, culture, and heritage. The Engaging the Audience pillar ensures that stories connect with people at home and abroad.
Sitting across these pillars are ten principles that guide the Government’s actions and investments over the next five years. These include First Nations arts and culture being First Nations-led, all Australians having the opportunity to access and participate in arts and culture, and artists and arts workers having career structures that are long-term and sustainable.
One of the key measures in Revive is the establishment of Creative Australia, which will restore and modernize the Australia Council for the Arts. With an additional $199 million in funding over 4 years from 2023-24, Creative Australia will provide greater strategic oversight and engagement across the sector. Within Creative Australia, a dedicated First Nations-led Board will be formed to support self-determination, the telling of First Nations histories and stories, and the strengthening of First Nations creative workers.
Other key measures within Revive include a program of long-term loans of works from the National Gallery of Australia’s collection to regional and suburban cultural institutions, stand-alone legislation to protect First Nations knowledge and cultural expressions, and an increase in support for regional arts and culture through an increase to the Regional Arts Fund.
Five expert Review Panels were appointed for each policy pillar to inform the development of the policy, and were responsible for identifying key issues and themes raised through the consultation process, including through the review of public submissions. Further information on the National Cultural Policy can be found on the Government’s Publications page.
You can read more at https://www.arts.gov.au/what-we-do/national-cultural-policy