A New Approach encourages creators, organisations and audiences to participate in new national cultural policy consultation process
Globally recognised Australian arts and culture think tank A New Approach (ANA) welcomes the federal government’s announcement of a consultation process for its new national cultural policy.
ANA Chair Rupert Myer AO said: “This represents an important opportunity to build on great policy momentum across Australia. The government has made it clear it is intending to consult widely and is open to listening to ideas from across the nation. We encourage creators and cultural organisations but also, crucially, audiences, to participate in this process.”
ANA’s Position Paper Imagine 2035 shows that a robust arts and culture system that delivers for all Australians is within our reach should we have an agreed national vision, framework and principles for long-term strategic collaboration. If we act now, we can capitalise on good work already done, seize opportunities and enhance our future competitiveness. Sticking with the status quo is a lost opportunity, ANA believes.
“Together, we can create an arts and culture system that supports international engagement, market development, wellbeing and economic opportunities,” Mr Myer said.
“In an environment of constrained budgets, competing priorities and increased uncertainty, we can achieve better outcomes through better public policy that positions culture and creativity as core drivers of national advantage and flourishing people.”
Mr Myer said policy across all levels of government continues to support the cultural and creative industries to tell Australian stories, and enable people across the nation to have the opportunity to engage with arts and culture.
ANA is Australia’s national think tank for arts and culture. Its independent research and analysis is freely available online and may help inform submissions to the consultation. In particular, their analysis of trends in cultural funding by all levels of government, The Big Picture, will be updated in April with the most recent data.
In October 2025, ANA was recognised in the worldwide list of 100 Think Tanks to Watch. The list recognises think tanks globally demonstrating innovative practices and impactful work.
ANA’s ambition is for Australia’s place as a cultural powerhouse to be secure, with an arts, culture and creativity system that delivers for all Australians by 2035.
