CULTURAL DIVERSITY
ACTION PLAN
2012-2020
Art is universally recognised as a language of engagement, providing many ways to relate our
stories to others.
The Cultural Diversity Action Plan 2012-2020 will sit alongside our Disability Action Plan 2009-2013
as a coordinated set of actions that will sharpen Arts Victoria’s approach to culturally sensitive
service delivery. Along with other key access and equity initiatives, Arts Victoria is engaging directly
with people across the State to ensure that all Victorians can participate in and benefit from an
arts rich and culturally vital State.
In the development of this Plan we have considered cultural diversity at the local, national and
international levels. We need to recognise our inherent diversity and be sure that new arrivals to
Victoria have the best opportunities to express and celebrate culture. At the international level, we
want to see new strategic partnerships established so our artists can find new markets overseas
and so that we can enjoy, at home what the world has to offer.
Our collaboration with government and non-government partners is integral to delivering on this
Plan. We will also continue to work closely with the State-owned cultural organisations to ensure
the effectiveness of service delivery to CALD communities and to encourage recurrently funded
organisations to plan with clear cultural diversity objectives.
What is cultural diversity?
Culture has many layers of meaning. The United Nations Economic, Social and
Cultural Organisation’s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity defines culture as:
•
the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of
society or a social group, and that it encompasses - in addition to art and
literature - lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and
beliefs.
The Declaration sets out that:
•
respect for the diversity of cultures, tolerance, dialogue and cooperation, in a
climate of mutual trust and understanding are among the best guarantees of
international peace and security.
Why a Cultural Diversity Action Plan?
At the beginning of the 21st Century, cultural diversity is emerging as a key global
challenge for international cooperation and human rights. UNESCO’s World Report on
Cultural Diversity (2009) demonstrates the importance of cultural diversity in language,
education, communication and creativity; and emphasises the importance of investing
in cultural diversity as:
•
an essential dimension of intercultural dialogue
•
necessary in creating social cohesion and democratic governance; and
•
as integral in approaches to sustainable development.
The Federal and State Governments have also recognised the important role cultural
diversity plays in society.
The Federal Government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Protection and
Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in 2009. This Convention reaffirms
the right of States to develop cultural policies and recognises cultural goods and
services as vehicles of identity, values and meaning.
The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) is an Act of
Parliament that safeguards the civil and political rights and freedoms of all Victorians,
and the responsibilities that go with them. The Charter states:
“People of all cultural, religious, racial or linguistic backgrounds have the right to enjoy
their culture, declare and practise their religion and use their languages.”
While we celebrate Victoria’s diversity on many levels, particularly in the arts, a sharp
focus is needed to ensure that our diverse artists and communities are better able to
maximise their contribution and participate in the broader Victorian arts landscape. Arts
Victoria’s Cultural Diversity Action Plan is a plan to provide for the development of new
1
ideas and to ensure that all levels of Arts Victoria work to increase access and participation in the
arts across the State by people of all cultural backgrounds.
Arts Victoria’s Cultural Diversity Action Plan
The Plan outlines priorities, strategies and actions that Arts Victoria will undertake to:
1. Incorporate culturally appropriate training for staff into the delivery of services to our
culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities;
2. Ensure that information on services is readily available to CALD communities; and
3. Assess the effectiveness of service delivery to CALD communities as an integral part of
program evaluation.
Arts Victoria is committed to providing infrastructure and services that meet the needs the State’s
culturally diverse population. This plan sets out a series of actions Arts Victoria will take between
2012-2020 and the ways we will measure our effectiveness in relation to each action.
Collaboration
Arts Victoria recognises that as a key part of Government, its influence goes beyond the arts
sector. We work for wider government goals by advising on how arts and cultural activity can
contribute to other government policy and program objectives.
By developing and maintaining integrated approaches across the public sector and links with the
private sector, we are able to utilise the potential of arts and culture across day-to-day government
activity. As Government partners, Arts Victoria would like to acknowledge the support of the
Victoria Multicultural Commission, in particular in the development of this Plan. Throughout the life
of this Plan, Arts Victoria intends to review its progress in this area, against Government
benchmarks and best practice examples that will improve the programs and services for all
Victorians.
Creating the Future: Towards 2020
Creating the Future is Arts Victoria’s Statement of Strategic Intent and provides the framework on
which Arts Victoria has built this plan. The Statement defines the themes which inspire us now and
will influence the next generation. It guides the way Arts Victoria will invest to deliver maximum
public value; and ensures that the vital role of arts and culture will continue to be recognised,
utilised and enhanced in the years to come. The headings set out on the following pages are key
goals of this statement.
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CULTURAL DIVERSITY
ACTION PLAN
DEVELOPING CULTURAL IDENTITY
Arts Victoria’s identity will be enhanced nationally and internationally through
arts and culture
Action:
Measure:
1
Provide leadership in coordinated national
approaches for the development of Culturally
and Linguistically Diverse arts.
Reflection of the nation’s cultural diversity in
nationally-co-ordinated initiatives.
2
Create new arts opportunities through
partnerships, sister state and city
relationships, whole-of-government strategies
and other cultural agreements.
Improved agreements and collaborative
arrangements benefiting CALD Victorian
artists and enhancing the State’s cultural
activity.
3
Identify opportunities to foster cultural
exchange through initiatives such as the
UNESCO Cities of Literature designation.
Improved opportunities for CALD Victorian
artists and cultural workers through cultural
exchange and international status.
4
Build on the international profile of cultural
diversity of the arts in Victoria through the 5th
World Summit on Arts and Culture - Creative
Intersections.
Local CALD arts components are prominent
in the conference’s cultural program
Support the development of strategic
partnerships between Victorian Arts Agencies
and relevant counterpart organisations, statewide, nationally and overseas.
Increased international profile of Victorian
artists and cultural workers.
5
New international opportunities created for
CALD Victorian artists and cultural workers.
Increased domestic audience access to
international product.
3
6
Support producers to find opportunities for
Victoria’s diverse artists and product in
overseas markets.
Opportunities identified, supported and
documented.
7
Promote cross-cultural collaboration between
artists and organisations locally and
internationally.
Number of local and international projects
supported.
8
Support initiatives such as the Australasian
World Music Expo as major conferencing and
showcasing events in Melbourne.
Increased attendance.
Promote Melbourne’s cultural diversity as a
vital element of Victoria’s society.
National & International references to
Melbourne’s cultural diversity.
9
Increased opportunities for CALD artists.
Victoria will be recognised as the best place in Australia for artists and
creative practitioners to live
Action:
Measure:
10
Support development of the State’s arts and
cultural policy with explicit ‘cultural diversity’
priorities.
New policy includes strong diverse content.
11
Identify barriers to engagement in arts and
cultural activity faced by recently arrived
Victorians.
Research report completed and agreed
recommendations implemented.
12
Consult with creative practitioners on models
for developing, presenting and promoting
quality diverse arts product.
Models documented and responses
developed.
13
Facilitate new mentoring opportunities for
recently arrived artists.
New opportunities established and
evaluated.
14
Support recurrently-funded arts organisations
to incorporate Cultural Diversity Action
Planning in business planning process.
Number of organisations which have
developed comprehensive plans (including
“diversity” KPI’s).
Improved CALD engagement (partnerships,
audience and participation).
Documented evidence of new opportunities
for CALD artists and arts workers.
15
Promote cultural competency on Arts
Portfolio Agency boards of management
through respective cultural diversity plans.
Cultural competency reflected in Arts
Portfolio Agency Boards of Management.
16
Develop metro, outer-metro and regional
Strategy established with documented
4
precinct strategies that actively engage CALD
artists and communities in Victoria’s regional
growth areas.
CALD engagement.
Links made with Local Government; Central
Activity Areas (CAAs); Regional
Infrastructure and Cultural Precinct
Enhancement Programs; and Creative
Spaces: www.creativespaces.net.au
CREATING CONTENT
Victoria’s diverse arts and cultural activity will reflect and inspire 21st century
audiences
Action:
Measure:
17
Support the Minister for the Arts to address
issues facing diverse communities.
Issues addressed and approaches
identified.
18
Facilitate new partnership opportunities to
support and grow Victoria’s diverse arts
product.
Number of partnerships facilitated.
19
Explore and implement new ways to facilitate
quality funding applications from CALD
artists.
Evidence of greater proportion of successful
applications from and engaging CALD
artists and communities.
20
Ensure that support through Arts Victoria’s
funding programs is reflective of the State’s
cultural diversity.
21
Utilise Arts Victoria’s website to showcase
promote the State’s diverse cultural activity.
Type/level of engagement with CALD
artists, communities and cultural
organisations.
22
Utilise the Culture Victoria website for CALD
artists, communities and organisations to
promote cultural content.
Type/level of engagement with CALD
artists, communities and cultural
organisations & collections.
23
Promote audience development models such
as “Mix it Up” across the Victorian arts and
cultural sector and across governments
Evidence of models adopted or adapted.
5
FORGING CONNECTIONS
More people in Victoria will be actively engaged in arts and culture
Action:
Measure:
24
Research best practice models of policy
and programming that facilitate cultural
diversity.
Report completed and models identified.
25
Develop stronger international links to
develop the arts, through locally-based
agencies’ global networks and knowledge
exchange.
Evidence of new opportunities created
through CALD networks.
26
Investigate a Community Cultural
Ambassadors Network in conjunction with
arts organisations and CALD communities.
Network implementation model developed.
27
Support a series of demonstration projects
that engage CALD communities and
volunteers.
Projects developed, implemented
28
Support residencies engaging CALD artists
and communities.
Residencies identified and supported.
29
Raise awareness of arts programs and panel
register within CALD communities.
New relationships formed; input into policy
and programming documented.
30
Engage Arts Victoria’s Portfolio Agencies in a
Cultural Diversity Action Planning Network.
Documented evidence of collaboration and
mutual support towards diversity objectives.
Include a ‘Cultural Diversity’ in the Arts
Portfolio Leadership Awards
31
Set meetings between Communications staff
of Arts Victoria and Victorian Multicultural
Commission.
A minimum of 2 meetings per year.
32
Where relevant, translate Arts Victoria
information into languages other than English
Relevant information translated,
disseminated and utilised by CALD artist
and communities.
33
Review methods and channels of ticket
distribution (including social media) to
improve uptake by CALD communities.
Review completed.
34
Research markets and identify opportunities
to improve audiences for CALD cultural
product.
Evidence of increased engagement
(audience and participation).
6
35
Build new audience relationships by targeting
key audience segments including recent
migrants and CALD communities in regional
areas.
Increased uptake of events from CALD
audience.
36
Develop ‘other cultural resources’ links on
Arts Victoria website.
Increased access (%).
All young people will have greater engagement with a broad range of arts and
cultural activity in and out of school and beyond the school years
Action:
Measure:
37
Hold annual Director Conversations events
with young people from diverse cultural
backgrounds.
More young people consulted on Arts
Victoria’s Policy and Programs.
38
Promote the Artists in Schools and Extended
School Residencies programs to culturally
diverse communities.
Increased program uptake of schools
engaging with culturally diverse
communities.
39
Encourage mentoring opportunities for young
people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Number of mentoring opportunities created.
40
Encourage Arts Victoria’s Portfolio Agencies
to actively include young people from diverse
backgrounds in education programming.
Increased participation by young people
from diverse backgrounds.
41
In consultation with relevant agencies,
consult with young people from diverse
backgrounds on marketing and participation
strategies.
Strategies developed and implemented.
CAPTURING VALUE
Investment in arts and culture will deliver increased returns
Action:
Measure:
42
Investigate mechanisms for managing
collections held by Victoria’s diverse
communities.
Greater diversity in museum collections,
including multicultural collections.
43
Employ culturally specific marketing methods
to increase engagement with diverse
communities.
Increased (first-time) arts audiences from
CALD backgrounds.
44
Identify methods to improve the business
Methods identified, promoted and evaluated
7
capacity of artists from cultural diverse
communities in outer metro and regional
Victoria.
Portfolio agencies and State-owned cultural facilities will achieve building
asset sustainability
Action:
Measure:
45
Support the storage and maintenance of
Victoria’s diverse State collections.
Evidence of improved management of the
State’s collections.
46
Provide a strategic framework for the storage
and maintenance of the State’s diverse
cultural assets in community collections.
Framework developed.
Arts Victoria will influence relevant State policy initiatives to ensure the
potential contribution of arts and culture is realised.
Action:
Measure:
47
Review evidence on the contribution diverse
arts and cultural activity makes to economic,
social and cultural indicators in Victoria.
Quality evidence obtained and
disseminated.
48
Work with other areas of Government on
program synergies and strategic initiatives
relating to cultural diversity.
Positioning of the arts documented in other
areas of government.
49
Liaise with other areas of Government to
ensure effective CALD consultation for new
infrastructure projects.
New developments universally accessible.
50
In partnership with State Government
counterparts, develop a broad and deep
promotional strategy to showcase the work of
CALD artists supported by Arts Victoria.
Media messages received by surveyed
CALD communities.
51
Further Arts Victoria’s patronage research to
include cultural diversity components.
CALD audiences (type and levels of
engagement) documented.
Proportional improvement in CALD
audiences and general audience
engagement with CALD product.
8
Arts Victoria will invest in its people, systems and programs and continuously
evaluate its performance to maximise its effectiveness
Action:
Measure:
52
Prioritise cultural competency in all areas of
Arts Victoria operations.
Regular internal progress reports prepared
by Arts Victoria Executive Group.
53
Continuously review progress of the Cultural
Diversity Action Plan 2012-2020
Annually report on progress of the Plan.
Document achievements and issues
54
Improve reporting on CALD arts activity
through Arts Victoria’s Grants Management
System.
Accurate and comprehensive annual
reporting submitted to Government.
Promote Arts Victoria as an employer that
values and attracts diversity.
Publicised position descriptions emphasise
Arts Victoria as an organisation that values
cultural diversity.
55
Data input guidelines developed and
promoted to staff.
Arts Victoria positions advertised in ethnic
media
56
Provide Managing Cultural Diversity training
workshops for all Arts Victoria Executive,
Management and Staff.
Percentage of staff trained.
57
Ensure cultural competency is included in the
staff Performance Development and
Progression (PDP) planning framework
Uptake of cultural competency improvement
programs.
58
Provide cultural awareness training as part of
new staff induction.
All new staff trained.
59
Include language and interpreter training in
staff learning and development plans.
Increased staff uptake.
60
Promote the use of interpreter services
across Arts Victoria staff.
Documented use of service.
9
Development and consultation
This Plan was developed by Arts Victoria’s Cultural Diversity Action Planning Group comprising
representatives of Arts Victoria’s operational units.
In developing this Plan, the Group sought the advice of the following:
The previous Minister for the Arts’ Multicultural Arts Policy Advisory Committee (MAPAC)
comprising:
•
Mr Mike Zafiropoulos AO - Chair of the Committee
•
Dr Audrey Yue - Senior Lecturer in Cinema and Cultural Studies, University of
Melbourne
•
Ms Ria Soemardjo – Artist
•
Ms Padmini Sebastian - Director, Immigration Museum
•
Mr Stefan Romaniw OAM – Chair, Multicultural Arts Victoria
•
Mr Rob Robson - Chair of the Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centres (VAPAC)
•
Ms Swee Lim – Arts Manager
•
Mr George Lekakis AM - Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission
•
Mr Hakan Akyol – Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship
•
Ms Penny Hutchinson - Director, Arts Victoria
•
Dr Hass Dellal OAM - Executive Director, Australian Multicultural Foundation
•
Ms Michele Azzopardi – Director, Design Victoria
Additionally, Arts Victoria sought the input and advice of the following agencies:
•
Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC)
Thank you to Hakan Akyol, Chairperson; Gabrielle Castellan, Manager – Strategic Policy &
Projects; Gianfranco Spinoso, Project Manager; Leah Bramhill, Project Officer; Rasika
Jayasuriya, Senior Policy Officer; Donna Petrusma, Project Officer; Matthew Scanlon,
Communications Officer
•
Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria (ECCV)
Thank you to Ross Barnett, Director; and Shaun Robson, Policy Officer
•
Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY)
Thank you to Mary Danckert, Youth Support and Development Manager; and Bree
McKilligan, Co-ordinator - Arts and Culture
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