Arts and culture made evident

Australia’s place as a cultural powerhouse is secure, with an arts and culture system that delivers for all Australians by 2035.

Making this vision real is at the heart of everything we do.

A New Approach (ANA) is Australia’s national arts and culture think tank. We work to secure evidence-led policy settings that position culture and creativity as core drivers of national advantage and flourishing people.

We do this because the evidence shows that culture and creativity have a direct, transformative impact on people and communities. They are the foundations of Australia’s economic resilience, social cohesion, productivity and global competitiveness.

Yet our public policy settings remain inadequate to the scale of opportunity and challenge ahead.

Policy matters. It directly affects whether our communities have access to creative opportunities, and it shapes the environment in which our cultural organisations and creators thrive or struggle. Good policy delivers cultural, economic and social returns.

Let’s ensure Australia has the evidence, confidence and commitment we need to achieve an arts and culture system that delivers for all Australians, whoever they are and wherever they live. This is how Australia will secure its place as a cultural powerhouse whose creativity is locally loved, nationally valued and globally influential.

ANA was founded in 2018 and is made possible by a collaboration of Philanthropic Partners. Our work is guided by our Board of Directors, chaired by Rupert Myer AO, and supported by our Reference Group and staff.

In 2021, we became an Australian Public Company Limited By Guarantee and a registered Charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC).

In 2025, ANA’s innovation and impact was recognised in the global 100 Think Tanks to Watch list. ANA was the only think tank focused on culture and creativity on the list, and one of only three Australian organisations.

ANA acknowledges the cultures of First Nations peoples in Australia and their continuing cultural and creative practices in this land. This reminds us of the importance of sharing knowledge, skills and stories.

Australia’s culture has been uniquely shaped by First Nations peoples, by the generations of people born in this place, and by the people from all around the globe who have made this place their home. All these perspectives can help shape a cultural life that emboldens us.

This aspiration informs the values that guide our work:

We work towards our vision by shaping and informing the views and actions of 500 public policy decision-makers and key opinion leaders to achieve policy settings that secure Australia’s place as a cultural powerhouse.

By 2035 this will positively impact:

ANA’s evidence and analysis provides a foundation for understanding arts and culture in Australia. It is credible, free of vested interest and aims to reframe policy conversations.

We translate complex analysis into actionable recommendations that help policy decision-makers confidently navigate change and find solutions to some of the most pressing policy challenges facing our nation today.

We work with policy decision-makers across all levels of government, nationwide, to maximise cultural, economic and social returns from creative investment, and we engage with key opinion leaders to develop shared approaches and ambition for change.

Our work extends beyond cultural policy into other portfolio areas, reflecting the impacts and opportunities of arts, culture and creativity on the prosperity and wellbeing of people and communities.

ANA believes Australia has a maturing cultural and creative confidence from which we can all benefit, and we invite you to share in our vision.