It’s time to create an arts and culture system that delivers for all Australians 

As the National Cultural Policy Revive reaches its halfway point this month, A New Approach (ANA) has today released its landmark Position Paper, Imagine 2035, setting out an ambitious vision for the future of Australian culture and creativity.

Imagine 2035 outlines a practical framework for a new National Arts and Culture Strategy, modelled on the National Sport Strategy, Sport Horizon. At its core is a draft Strategy-on-a-Page that illustrates the types of clear principles, outcomes and measurements that national strategy could adopt.

The Position Paper also identifies six priority agenda items for consideration by a proposed new Ministerial Council focused on cultural access and creative industries, facilitating enduring cooperation between governments and effective collaboration with industry, business and philanthropy.

Kate Fielding, CEO of ANA, said “For the first time in our modern democracy, an arts and culture system that delivers for all Australians is within our reach. With practical action, we can achieve multi-partisan, multi-government and outcomes-focused cultural policy, securing our place as a cultural powerhouse.

“We have building momentum, with a practical approach to action, like a plan or strategy, a recommendation of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Australia’s Creative and Cultural Industries and Institutions in 2021, and unprecedented cultural policy development across Australia today. A National Arts and Culture Strategy along with a Ministerial Council would improve Australia’s cultural policy environment, for good.

“Now is the time to unleash the full potential of the $7.7 billion invested annually by governments in culture and creativity.

“Sport Horizon has shown us the path to align governments’ efforts without limiting their independence. A National Arts and Culture Strategy would complement, not replace, existing policy while a Ministerial Council would create a formal channel for collaborating, deciding and acting on culture and creativity.”

Ms Fielding said “Our research over recent years has repeatedly demonstrated that culture and creativity is a proven method for connecting communities, supporting democracy and strengthening economies and that purposeful policy action and industry effort is needed for it to thrive in cities, suburbs and towns.

“Culture and creativity can help Australia to become a cohesive and prosperous nation but we’re still letting too many Australians down. At home, people can’t access cultural and creative experiences and abroad we’re not making the most of our diverse creative strengths and our maturing cultural confidence.

“Sticking with the status quo is a lost opportunity. Let’s act now to improve equitable access to experiences, create even stronger policy, regulatory and investment environments, and build on our shared cultural inheritance.”