The NSW Government has followed the lead of its federal counterpart in taking steps to bring the state’s arts and creative industries under one policy.
Arts Minister John Graham on Friday released the discussion paper A New Look At Culture with the aim of informing the new strategy for state’s arts and cultural sectors – an employer of almost one in ten people in Greater Sydney.
The paper outlines three key considerations – a new look at people, a new look at infrastructure, and a new look at audiences.
Starting this month, there will be a series of town hall consultations that will run through until the end of August, encompassing a range of regional centres, while also including a dedicated First Nations event in Sydney.
Following the deadline for written and online submissions on August 31, a ministerial advisory panel comprising Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron, University of Sydney Chau Chak Wing Museum director Michael Dagostino, Sydney Fringe Festival director and CEO Kerri Glasscock, UNSW Art and Design dean Ross Harley, and Blackfella Films director Darren Dale will undertake a review of the feedback from September to November, before the government delivers the policy before the end of the year.
It comes after Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke embarked on a similar journey last year on the road to announcing his Revive National Cultural Policy, building the strategy around the pillars of First Nations First, A Place for Every Story, Centrality of the Artist, Strong Cultural Infrastructure, and Engaging the Audience.
Speaking at Friday’s policy launch, Graham said the government had been driven by the positive reaction to the national policy.
“As the NSW Minister for the Arts, my first commitment was to develop an arts, culture and creative industries policy for the state, and today that discussion is very much based on the fact the federal government has launched the National Cultural Policy, which has been incredibly well received by the sector,” he said.
“It’s now time to have that discussion about how that unfolds in NSW.”
Joining the Minister at the Art Gallery of NSW for the launch was Animal Logic CEO and founder Zareh Nalbandian, who related his journey co-founding the company in Crows Nest during the 1990s with 12 people, from which it has grown to now employ hundreds while carrying a global footprint. Last year, Netflix acquired Animal Logic’s animation studios across Sydney and Vancouver.
In welcoming the new strategy, Nalbandian said the most important of the policy was that it recognised arts, culture, and the creative industries as “an ecosystem”.
“They thrive with each other and can’t exist in silos,” he said.
Find out more about how to participate in the consultation process here.