A National Cultural Policy must be supported by governments at all levels and embrace young people at its centre

In its submission to the National Cultural Policy (NCP) consultation, ANA says that Australia needs a renewed focus on how we encourage children to engage more broadly with arts and culture, as creative thinking is a global policy priority to prepare young people for future jobs and solving future problems. ANA believes children and young people need to develop the skills in creativity, innovation and imagination that are essential to our collective ability to adapt and flourish.

ANA also proposes that the next NCP should be developed in partnership with state and territory governments and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), as state and territory investment in arts and culture now outpaces that of the federal government.

ANA Chair Rupert Myer AO said: “It is clear the federal government cannot do this alone. It must work with states, territories and local governments to develop a joined-up 10-year framework for strategic collaboration and adaptable decision-making with immediate actions to be delivered over a three-year period.”

Putting children, young people and education at the heart of the next NCP, and partnership with states and territories are key themes of ANA’s submission that cut across the existing pillars of the current cultural policy, Revive. ANA also recommends reforming the arts and culture tax system; and supporting careers, skills and training in the arts, culture and creativity system.

Key recommendations from ANA’s submission include:

• Introducing a sixth pillar in the next NCP focused on ‘Creative Learning for Every Child’. ANA believes this would appropriately reflect the foundational importance of arts, cultural and creative learning and education for all children in Australia.
• Reforming the arts and culture taxation system to make it simpler and more coordinated. Specific proposed reforms include making prize money for creative competitions tax-free, offering a standard deduction for individual artists and creatives, working with the private and philanthropic sectors to increase investment, and, in cooperation with the ATO, providing specialist tax advice for creators and small-to-medium organisations in the cultural and creative industries.
• Supporting measures to provide improved career opportunities, skills and training. ANA believes the positive economic impact of arts and culture is being held back by limited pathways and short-term policy. It supports moving towards 10-year operational funding agreements to provide financial certainty that enables investment in the workforce and creates stable and sustainable career opportunities.

Mr Myer described the opportunity to contribute to Australia’s next cultural policy as “a moment of genuine significance”.

“This is a rare opportunity to establish a genuinely modern, whole-of-government and cross-jurisdictional cultural framework – one grounded in continuity, ambition and partnership,” Mr Myer said. “Greater investment is important, particularly at a time of rising costs across the cultural and creative industries. But investment alone is not enough. We must also strengthen the systems, incentives and collaborations that allow artistic and cultural activity to have deeper and more lasting impact.”

ANA recommends the next NCP adopt a shared definition of arts, culture and creativity that is broad and inclusive and enables a shared vision, national outcomes and measurements. ANA believes this definition should recognise not only attending or visiting arts, cultural and creative events and venues, but also activities performed in less obvious industries such as design and architecture.

The submission also proposes the creation of a National Partnership Agreement for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games to develop and implement a program of cultural projects and events that celebrate local, national and international culture.

In terms of immediate actions across the existing five pillars of the current NCP, ANA recommends the government should pursue measures that facilitate investment; build capability and capacity and increase access to resources and infrastructure; and increase engagement, participation and inclusion opportunities.

These specific actions are wide-ranging – from creating a new five-year First Nations Arts and Culture Strategy; to implementing legislation that requires Australia’s cultural institutions to have young people on their boards; offering a one-off incentive payment for 18-year-olds to spend on Australian arts and culture events; and convening a peak body for Australia’s arts, culture and creativity system that can coordinate and advocate for the views of the cultural and creative industries.

Mr Myer said the challenge ahead is not whether arts and culture matters, but whether Australia is prepared to build the long-term policy settings to allow it to flourish more broadly.

“Arts, culture and creativity are not peripheral to national life,” he said. “They are essential infrastructure for a confident, imaginative and connected Australia.”

ANA’s submission was informed by a series of roundtable discussions between March and May 2026 with stakeholders across the Australian arts, culture and creativity system.

Read the details of ANA’s submission.