Towards a new National Cultural Policy

ANA welcomes the opportunity to contribute to Australia’s next National Cultural Policy at a moment of genuine significance.

Public policy has helped shape the cultural inheritance we now value: the institutions we treasure, the festivals that animate local communities, and the creative system that sustain artists, audiences and arts workers alike.

The challenge before us is not whether culture matters, but whether Australia is prepared to build the long-term policy settings required for creativity to flourish more broadly – for the entire nation to benefit from its transformative power, and for global audiences to broaden their understanding of contemporary Australia through the work of our artists.

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. 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.

We must also take to heart the cultural practices that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have sustained through story, ceremony, ritual, tradition and custodianship of Country and make this knowledge and these skills foundational to Australia’s purpose, identity and future.

Overview

Arts, culture and creativity are part of the fabric of everyday Australian life. They are core drivers of Australia’s economic resilience, social cohesion, productivity and global competitiveness.

While in 2023–24 Australian governments invested $8.6 billion in arts and culture (the largest amount in 17 years), investment is not keeping pace with population growth. Our population increased by 27% from 2007–08 to 2023–24 while government expenditure in arts and culture only increased by 19%.4 In addition, the most recently available international data ranks Australia 25 out of 31 OECD countries for government investment in ‘recreation, culture and religion’.

In 2022-23, cultural and creative activity accounted for an estimated 2.5% of gross value added (GVA) in Australia – comparable to the size of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industry, or the Accommodation and Food Services industry.

In an environment of constrained budgets, competing priorities and increased uncertainty, Australia can achieve better outcomes through better public policy that positions culture and creativity as core drivers of national advantage and flourishing people. Australia’s next National Cultural Policy (NCP) is an important opportunity to pursue this work.

A robust, thriving arts, culture and creativity system for all Australians means having an agreed national vision, outcomes and measurements that support long-term strategic collaboration across governments and portfolios. It also means taking immediate action to capitalise on good work already done and seize new opportunities.

Recommendations

ANA recommends that the Australian Government:

Recommendation 1:

Develop the next NCP in partnership with state and territory governments and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) as a 10-year framework for strategic collaboration and adaptable decision-making with immediate actions to be delivered over a three-year period. This includes:

1A. Cultural Ministers and ALGA setting a shared vision for Australia’s arts, culture and creativity system with connected  communities, lifelong learning and cultural access and participation at its heart.

1B. Cultural Ministers and ALGA establishing national outcomes that provide clear direction for how actions across the NCP Pillars will achieve the shared vision:

• National Outcome 1: National collaboration and leadership
• National Outcome 2: Sustainability and resilience
• National Outcome 3: Strategic investment
• National Outcome 4: Inclusive and fosters cohesion.

1C. Cultural Ministers and ALGA committing to shared measurements that track progress towards a shared vision and national outcomes.

1D. Cultural Ministers and ALGA meeting biannually to drive the implementation of the NCP and its actions.

1E. State, territory and local governments embedding the NCP in their own policies and approaches and aligning funding commitments as required to deliver the shared vision and national outcomes.

Recommendation 2:

Adopt a shared definition of arts, culture and creativity, noting that Australia’s culture has been uniquely shaped by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 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.

Recommendation 3:

Act on key themes that cut across the five Pillars:

3A. Children, young people and education: Creativity and imagination are skills that are essential to our collective ability to adapt and flourish. Children, young people and education should be at the heart of the next NCP through a sixth Pillar called ‘Creative Learning for Every Child’.

3B. Tax reform: Australia’s tax and philanthropic systems should operate to support a vibrant arts, culture and creativity system. Governments should take a systems approach to reforming the arts and culture taxation system, including implementing ‘quick wins’, whilst also reviewing it to deliver reform as part of the next NCP.

3C: Careers, skills and training: The arts, culture and creativity system needs a workforce to deliver its economic and social impacts. The next NCP should highlight efforts to support lifelong learning and accessible career  pathways to realise economic growth, social impact and sustainable employment opportunities.

Recommendation 4:

Enter into 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.

Recommendation 5:

Pursue immediate actions, including cross-portfolio opportunities, under each of the five NCP Pillars to achieve the shared national outcomes.

These actions should focus on:

• Facilitating financial inflows: measures that facilitate investment and grow business income
• Facilitating operations: measures that build capacity and capability, increase access to resources and infrastructure, and reduce business expenses
• Increasing engagement opportunities: measures that facilitate access, participation and inclusion opportunities.