Victoria’s Creative Industries Strategy
MAV Submission
July 2015
This submission has been prepared by the Municipal Association of Victoria in response to
the Victorian Government’s discussion paper ‘Let’s get creative about Victoria’s future –
Developing Victoria’s first creative industries strategy’.
The MAV is the statutory peak body for local government in Victoria, representing all 79
municipalities. This submission has been prepared by the MAV following consultation with
metropolitan, regional and rural councils.
Whilst this submission aims to broadly reflect the views of local government in Victoria, it does
not purpose to reflect the exact views of individual councils, which have also been
encouraged to make submissions in response to the discussion paper.
The MAV would like to acknowledge the contribution of those who provided their comments
and advice during the consultation period.
For further information about this submission contact
Clare Hargreaves, Manager Social Policy
Municipal Association of Victoria
July 2015
© Copyright Municipal Association of Victoria, 2015.
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) is the owner of the copyright in the publication
MAV submission to Creative Industries Strategy - Jul 2015.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any
means without the prior permission in writing from the Municipal Association of Victoria.
All requests to reproduce, store or transmit material contained in the publication should be
addressed to Clare Hargreaves, Manager Social Policy on 03 9667 5543 or
chargreaves@mav.asn.au.
The MAV does not guarantee the accuracy of this document's contents if retrieved from
sources other than its official websites or directly from a MAV employee.
The MAV can provide this publication in an alternative format upon request, including large
print, Braille and audio.
Table of contents
1
Executive summary ......................................................................................................... 4
2
Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 5
3
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 6
4
Context ........................................................................................................................... 7
The Role of Local Government in relation to Creative Industries ..................................... 7
Funding context............................................................................................................... 8
5
General feedback ............................................................................................................ 9
What else needs to be included in the development of the Creative Industries Strategy? 9
6
What drives the creative and cultural industries?........................................................... 13
Theme 1:
Fostering creative excellence ..................................................................... 13
Theme 2:
Building audiences and markets ................................................................. 13
Theme 3:
Enhancing creative spaces and places ....................................................... 14
Theme 4:
Cultivating skills, entrepreneurship and innovation ..................................... 16
Theme 5:
Harnessing the opportunities of digital technology ...................................... 16
Theme 6:
Increasing participation and social impact .................................................. 17
Theme 7:
Supporting Aboriginal arts and culture ........................................................ 18
Theme 8:
Advancing regional Victoria and outer metropolitan Melbourne .................. 18
Theme 9:
Enhancing international engagement ......................................................... 19
Theme 10: Increasing tourism ...................................................................................... 19
7
Conclusions .................................................................................................................. 21
8
Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 21
3
1 Executive summary
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) commends Creative Victoria for the long-term,
comprehensive and consultative approach to developing a Creative Industries Strategy for
Victoria.
The MAV is the statutory peak body for local government in Victoria, representing all 79
municipalities.
This submission reinforces the central role of local government as a major setting for arts
and culture in Victoria.
Local government makes a substantial investment in the arts in Victoria, is a major owner
and supporter of cultural infrastructure across the state, has direct and indirect roles in
municipal arts and cultural programs, and is responsible for many complementary functions
such as place-based management, urban planning, local business development, community
development, integrated planning, economic development and public health.
Through our investments, multiple roles and responsibilities and most particularly through
our shared interest in contributing to Victoria as ‘a liveable, inclusive, prosperous and vibrant
society’, we believe that local government can offer valued perspectives and expertise
during the strategy development process.
Our key recommendation therefore is that the partnership between Creative Victoria and the
MAV is strengthened and that the MAV is closely involved in the on-going development of a
Creative Industries Strategy that will deliver social, cultural and economic benefits to all
Victorians and all municipalities across Victoria.
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2 Recommendations
1. That the Creative Industries Strategy recognises the role and financial contribution of
local government in supporting Victoria’s creative and cultural industries.
2. That Creative Victoria works closely with the MAV in developing Victoria’s first Creative
Industries Strategy to ensure that local government’s expertise, perspectives and
interests are utilised and represented.
3. That Creative Victoria takes an integrated, whole-of-government approach to developing
the Creative Industries Strategy, directly involves local government, and clearly outlines
the roles and responsibilities of all levels of government, and how they will work together.
4. That the Creative Industries Strategy explores options for leveraging funding and
resources across state and local government, including the state government matching
local government arts grants funding on a dollar for dollar basis.
5. That Creative Victoria adopts an integrated planning focus in developing the Creative
Industries Strategy to ensure that the creative and cultural potential of proposed urban,
regional and rural developments is realised.
6. That Creative Victoria works in close consultation with local government and the
Metropolitan Planning Authority to ensure an approach to planning that integrates
thinking around potential creative and cultural opportunities.
7. That the Creative Industries Strategy investigates the option of including arts and cultural
investments as allowable items from infrastructure contributions.
8. That the Creative Industries Strategy accords equal weight to the social and cultural
contributions the creative and cultural industries make to Victoria as it does to their
economic contribution.
9. That Creative Victoria works with the MAV and the CDN to develop the data and
evidence base around the creative and cultural industries and to ensure that this
includes the social and cultural as well as economic benefits of this work.
10. That the Victorian Government acknowledges the important social, cultural and
economic benefits of public libraries, as well as their contribution to our everyday
experience of culture and creativity. As a tangible symbol of this acknowledgement, it is
recommended that the Partnership Agreement between the Victorian Government and
Public Libraries Victoria Network is finalised and endorsed by both parties.
11. That through the Creative Industries Strategy, the Victorian Government provides
increased funding to public libraries to ensure that these critical cultural facilities can
provide a consistently high quality of service and so that the physical facilities can offer
flexible spaces to cater to new demand, build audiences and enable high quality cultural
experiences.
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3 Introduction
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission
to Creative Victoria’s discussion paper ‘Let’s Get Creative about Victoria’s Future’ and
congratulates the Victorian Government on its commitment to develop a creative industries
strategy that ‘increases the benefits that flow to the State from a vibrant creative and cultural
sector’.1
The MAV is the legislated peak body for Victoria’s 79 councils. Formed in 1879, we have a
long and proud history of supporting councils and councillors. Our role is to represent and
advocate the interest of local government, lobby for a ‘fairer deal’ for councils, raise the
sector’s profile, ensure its long-term security and provide policy advice, strategic advice,
capacity building programs and insurance services to local government.
This submission is provided by the MAV, endorsed by the MAV Arts and Culture Committee,
and represents the views raised at the Local Government forum with Creative Victoria and
submissions received from individual councils. The submission addresses the headline
issues raised by the discussion paper.
We support the more detailed submissions provided by our partnership networks, the
Cultural Development Network and Public Libraries Victoria Network, and submissions
provided by individual councils.
This submission reinforces the central role of local government as a major setting for arts
and culture in Victoria. Further, with local government’s roles in complementary functions
such as place-based management, urban planning, local business development, community
development and integrated planning, we believe that local government has significant
expertise to add to the strategy’s development. Our key recommendation therefore is that
the partnership between Creative Victoria and the MAV is strengthened and that the MAV is
closely involved in the on-going development of the Creative Industries Strategy for the
benefit of all Victorian communities.
This submission provides some contextual comments, addresses gaps identified in the
discussion paper, and responds to the specific themes raised in the paper.
Let’s get creative about Victoria’s future – Developing Victoria’s first creative industries strategy, Creative
Victoria, p. 4
1
6
4 Context
The Role of Local Government in relation to Creative Industries
Local government is responsible for key and multiple roles in terms of providing creative
value to their communities. Municipal councils are direct providers and curators of cultural
content, funders of creative projects, and significant employers of arts professionals. Across
Victoria, there are 79 council-owned or supported theatres and 62 council-owned or
supported public galleries. We are connected to and sponsor work across the visual arts,
performing arts, literature, music and new and emerging digital art forms. We are involved
with local tourism, management and preservation of some of the state’s key heritage
buildings and management of cultural venues.
Victoria’s 263 public library branches, and 27 mobile libraries accessing remote locations,
also make an invaluable contribution to the cultural life of our state. Libraries are the second
most used cultural facilities nationally. They keep communities socially connected, offer
equitable access to technology, and promote workforce participation.
The role of local government in arts, culture and the creative industries is wide and varied,
encompassing:
 owning and managing cultural institutions
 commissioning of public art works
 funding of arts and cultural grants and schemes
 promoting, managing and delivering local festivals
 employment of cultural development workers and arts professionals
 facilitating local cultural development activity
 managing and facilitating recreational and leisure facilities
 managing public spaces and the local environment, in particular the built environment.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that local government in Victoria directly
spent $377.7m on recreation and culture in 2013-2014, with $85.0m on capital expenditure
and the balance of $292.7m on recurrent expenses. This represents expenditure by
Victorian local government in 2013-2014 of $66.50 per person on cultural activities. This is
the second highest per capita expenditure on cultural activities across Australian states and
territories, after South Australia, and is $5.00 greater than the average per capita
expenditure for that financial year.2
The role of Local Government in relation to the Creative Industries Strategy
We commend the state government in its intention to develop a strategy that is ‘broad and
inclusive’ and recommend that in addition to including practitioners, companies, audiences
and markets nominated in the discussion paper, the strategy includes local government as a
key funder, supporter and employer, spanning the diversity of the creative and cultural
industries. Further, through our roles in complementary and aligned activities such as urban
planning, community development, community wellbeing and business development, local
government can contribute significant expertise and a breadth of perspective that is unique
to this discussion. Maintaining, supporting and enhancing the social, cultural and economic
2
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 4183.0 – Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2012-13
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wellbeing of Victorian communities is fundamental to the role of local government, and the
MAV as the peak body, representing the 79 councils in Victoria.
This leads to our first recommendations which seek an acknowledgement of local
government’s role in supporting the creative and cultural industries, and involvement of local
government in the development of the Creative Industries Strategy.
Recommendations:
1. That the Creative Industries Strategy recognises the role and financial contribution of
local government in supporting Victoria’s creative and cultural industries.
2. That Creative Victoria works closely with the MAV in developing Victoria’s first Creative
Industries Strategy to ensure that local government’s expertise, perspectives and
interests are utilised and represented.
Funding context
While local government has a significant role as a funder and supporter of arts and cultural
activity in local communities, capacity to sustain this investment has come under pressure
from initiatives of both the state and federal governments.
The State’s proposed rate capping policy is likely to place pressure on all councils’ service
delivery, including councils’ annual arts and culture budgets.
Further, along with most members of the Victorian arts industry, we anticipate that recent
changes to the Australia Council’s funding streams will severely impact on Victoria’s small to
medium arts sector. We are concerned that negative impacts from this may flow through to
local communities, particularly in rural and regional areas.
These combined pressures need to be acknowledged in the development of the Creative
Industries Strategy. We recommend that the Victorian Government adopts a smart approach
to funding the Creative Industries Strategy, and leverages opportunities across government
sectors in order to optimise benefits for the wider community.
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5 General feedback
What else needs to be included in the development of the Creative
Industries Strategy?
The MAV commends the discussion paper’s general approach to the creative and cultural
industries, in particular the acknowledgement of the diversity of the industries, their multiple
positive ripple effects, their contribution to the Victorian economy, enhancing liveability,
improving community connectedness and the social benefits that accrue from the creative
and cultural industries. However, we note that the discussion paper represents early thinking
in terms of the strategy’s development and new ideas and approaches are welcomed.
Need for an integrated approach to the Creative Industries Strategy
All levels of government support the arts and foster the creative industries. At a policy level,
we need a more cohesive, whole-of-government approach.
We believe that the development of the Victorian Creative Industries Strategy provides a
timely opportunity for:
 a cohesive whole-of-government policy approach which links state and local government
 a clear articulation of the roles of federal, state and local government
 a clear articulation of how the levels of government will work together
 ensuring that in addition to state and local government working together, the private and
philanthropic sectors are included in discussions around these investments
 building a common language and framework to guide planning and development of work,
and in particular public investment, in the creative industries.
Recommendation:
3. That Creative Victoria takes an integrated, whole-of-government approach to developing
the Creative Industries Strategy, directly involves local government, and clearly outlines
the roles and responsibilities of all levels of government, and how they will work together.
Need to leverage funds and resources
There are limits to funds and resources across all levels of government. However, there are
many opportunities for state and local government to invest in smarter ways, and leverage
from each other’s resources to multiply the impact of investments and to derive greater
benefits for communities and industries.
For example, state government matching of local government arts grants allocated to local
communities / artists on a dollar for dollar basis would represent a relatively small proportion
of the state arts budget, but would significantly enhance the opportunities available for local
artists. Reduction in red tape for grants from the State could also be considered. As the
discussion paper outlines, small investments can lead to far larger ripple effects. We believe
that rural and regional artists and rural and regional communities would particularly benefit
from this approach. We also believe that supporting the economic viability of individual arts
practitioners is critical to sustaining the creative industries. Councils in rural and regional
areas also note their capacity to value add with a demonstrated track record in tapping into
sponsorship and philanthropy.
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There are also untapped opportunities to create pathways between state cultural institutions
and local government in the delivery of decentralised arts, heritage and cultural programs.
Recommendation:
4. That the Creative Industries Strategy explores options for leveraging funding and
resources across state and local government, including the state government matching
local government arts grants funding on a dollar for dollar basis.
Need for integrated planning
The Creative Industries Strategy may be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to influence the
way we approach this work. Fully realising the cultural, social and economic benefits of the
creative and cultural industries extends beyond the ambit of Creative Victoria alone and we
welcome the discussion paper’s whole-of-state approach. We believe it is critical that the
strategy acknowledges the role of planning in shaping our cultural and creative future, and
involves local government, along with the state’s key planning bodies in this work. Local
government can offer expertise particularly around urban development and place-based
planning. The MAV would welcome the opportunity to work with Creative Victoria in concert
with the Metropolitan Planning Authority and other planning stakeholders to ensure that the
Creative Industries Strategy takes an integrated planning approach.
We also note for example that other jurisdictions impose a levy on major developments that
must be invested in public space improvements, public and/or community arts projects. As
there is currently a review of infrastructure contributions occurring, this presents an
opportunity to examine the inclusion of arts and cultural investments as ‘allowable items’.
Recommendations:
5. That Creative Victoria adopts an integrated planning focus in developing the Creative
Industries Strategy to ensure that the creative and cultural potential of proposed urban,
regional and rural developments is realised.
6. That Creative Victoria works in close consultation with local government and the
Metropolitan Planning Authority to ensure an approach to planning that integrates
thinking around potential creative and cultural opportunities.
7. That the Creative Industries Strategy investigates the option of including arts and cultural
investments as allowable items from infrastructure contributions.
Need to value equally the social and cultural benefits, as well as the economic benefits
The MAV acknowledges that creativity and culture are central to our identity, to the liveability
of our communities, to our social cohesion and to our productivity. We recognise the
substantial contribution of the arts to our state economy. We also proudly acknowledge the
‘non-economic’ contributions of the arts to civic participation, social wellbeing and
connection, Indigenous reconciliation and in celebration of multicultural Victoria and
celebration of local communities.
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The value and importance of the creative and cultural industries in nurturing, telling, sharing
and preserving our uniquely Victorian stories cannot be overstated. From a local government
perspective, our role in maintaining our past stories is manifest in our management of
heritage buildings across the state, and in our support for Victoria’s local and regional
museums. We also support the telling and development of uniquely Victorian stories and art
works, through multiple, local funding programs.
Recommendation:
8. That the Creative Industries Strategy accords equal weight to the social and cultural
contributions the creative and cultural industries make to Victoria as it does to their
economic contribution.
Build the evidence base
Our membership strongly endorses the need to build the data and evidence base around the
creative and cultural industries so that collaboratively, all levels of government, can
rigorously demonstrate the economic, health, social and cultural benefits of the arts and the
creative industries.
From our work in this field, local government acknowledges that creative and cultural
participation has a range of benefits that extend beyond the considerable economic benefits,
particularly in building a sense of community, reducing isolation and contributing to
community cohesion and health and wellbeing outcomes. The measurement of the value of
the arts needs to encapsulate its creation, expression, experience and participation, as well
as the economic and labour force profiling. It also needs to fully acknowledge the role of our
important cultural institutions such as galleries, museums, and libraries, and our cultural
heritage sector.
Recommendation:
9. That Creative Victoria works with the MAV and the CDN to develop the data and
evidence base around the creative and cultural industries and to ensure that this
includes the social and cultural as well as economic benefits of this work.
Realise the cultural, social and economic value of the creative and cultural industries
Local government has a key role in determining the creative and cultural landscape of our
everyday lives – ranging from the shape of our built environment, access to public spaces
and local access to public cultural institutions, as well as the opportunities available to us for
active and passive participation in the arts.
We believe that our public libraries provide multiple benefits in terms of cultural, social and
economic value. For many Victorians, contact with a public library is likely to be their first
encounter with a cultural institution. Our libraries strive to maintain this relationship with our
citizenry throughout all stages of life. Libraries are key in supporting the development of
language and literacy skills of all, and play a particular role in supporting newly arrived
migrants, encouraging workforce participation, maintenance of linguistic heritage and
involvement in creative pursuits. While community members are increasingly connected to
the internet, libraries still provide a digital hub for students, people on low incomes, migrants,
and older people, to access the internet.
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However, in real terms, library funding has decreased with most funding provided by local
government. The role of libraries is critical to a Creative Industries Strategy that takes an
inclusive view of the social, cultural and economic benefits of the creative industries.
Recommendations:
10. That the Victorian Government acknowledges the important social, cultural and
economic benefits of public libraries, as well as their contribution to our everyday
experience of culture and creativity. As a tangible symbol of this acknowledgement, it is
recommended that the Partnership Agreement between the Victorian Government and
Public Libraries Victoria Network is finalised and endorsed by both parties.
11. That through the Creative Industries Strategy, the Victorian Government provides
increased funding to public libraries to ensure that these critical cultural facilities can
provide a consistently high quality of service and so that the physical facilities can offer
flexible spaces to cater to new demand, build audiences and enable high quality cultural
experiences.
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6 What drives the creative and cultural industries?
Theme 1:
Fostering creative excellence
The MAV endorses submissions from our member councils which advocate for a broad
interpretation of ‘creative excellence’, and note the challenges inherent in measuring
excellence. The preferred term is one of ‘creative authenticity’ which better describes the
aspiration of local communities.
The notion of excellence raises the challenge of supporting artistic risk-taking – often a
critical step along the path to excellence, and certainly to innovation. There is a risk that too
great an emphasis on excellence can lead to an aversion to artistic risk-taking, exploration
and innovation.
Notwithstanding the comments above, fostering creative excellence in professions that are
often practised in isolation requires the support of peers and professional networks. Our rural
towns and regional cities are often home to important communities of arts practitioners. The
Creative Industries Strategy should address ways to connect arts practitioners with their
peers across the state and across the globe, in order to continue to develop their
professional skills. Rural and regional libraries play a critical role as cultural hubs in these
communities. They provide internet access for those without access at home or their place of
work and/or those people on low incomes. Artists in rural communities often grapple with
both inconsistent internet access, and are over-represented in low socio-economic cohorts.
It is also important that Creative Victoria provides support for industry networks such as the
Public Galleries Association of Victoria, the Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centres,
and Public Libraries Victoria Network, to ensure that they are best able to support standards
of excellence across their constituencies.
Theme 2:
Building audiences and markets
For many rural communities, local government-sponsored cultural facilities, events and
activities are often the only avenues to participate in or access creative and cultural pursuits.
Irrespective of location, all municipalities and shires provide local, free or low-cost, access to
creative and cultural participation. Many young people are involved in their first creative
pursuits outside the school environment through a local government activity. The local and
low-cost nature of council activity ensures that all members of the community can
participate, irrespective of age, language or disability. The work of local government
supports lifelong community involvement in the arts. A culturally-literate and involved
community is a critical element in building audiences and markets. The grassroots work of
local government is an essential element in building the wider creative ecology of the arts
market.
Local government is also a keen supporter of home-grown artists and arts practitioners. The
examples below highlight the work of the City of Hobsons Bay in supporting and promoting
local writers, and the City of Ballarat in support and promoting a broad range of artists in the
region. The Creative Industries Strategy should investigate options for continuing and
extending supports such as these for local artists.
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Hobsons Bay is a community with a deep and proud literary history, and vibrant and diverse culture of
writing.
Homegrown Hobsons Bay is an innovative program to celebrate and to grow the potential and reach
of writers from Hobsons Bay. Homegrown writers are featured in this database, and their titles are
clearly identified within our libraries with the Homegrown branding.
Homegrown Hobsons Bay is also about supporting up-and-coming writers…and offers the use of
library facilities for…book launches and can assist…in the planning and promotion of events.
http://libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/homegrown
The Central Highland’s ArtsAtlas!
ArtsAtlas is building a community of people who like to share what they do with others and who also
like to know what’s going on… .. It has been developed with artists, organisations and cultural groups
in mind. Its aim is to bring people together, to share what’s going on and to celebrate what makes this
part of the world just that little bit special…
We invite you to be part of this growing community, to share your events, tell us and show us what
you do. You can subscribe to the monthly e-news or check in to see what’s happening on the
calendar.
ArtsAtlas is supported the City of Ballarat’s Arts and Culture Unit, Ballarat Arts Alive and VicHealth’s LEAP program.
http://www.artsatlas.com.au
Theme 3:
Enhancing creative spaces and places
Local government plays an active role in enhancing the creative spaces and places across
Victoria. The Creative Spaces program (funded by Creative Victoria and the City of
Melbourne – see box below) is seen as an excellent example of the role councils can play in
enhancing creative spaces and places. Multiple benefits accrue from this program including
the reactivation of empty spaces, community and commercial renewal and facilitating artists’
access to affordable spaces to work. The MAV suggests that there are opportunities to
extend this program across all municipalities through the Creative Industries Strategy. The
renewal and repurposing of existing infrastructure to fit new creative industries would bring a
wide range of benefits to communities.
Further, the MAV believes that there are opportunities to explore and support the use of
small, arts spaces, particularly as artist-run, or arts-incubator spaces. This approach
contributes to the arts-activation of places and spaces, precincts and communities. While
also contributing to re-energising communities, it would often only require a relatively small
capital works investment, for example to install lighting, sound or seating renovations. It
would ensure that small spaces are retained as community spaces. The refurbishment of the
Brunswick Mechanics Institute is an example of this type of conversion of a relatively small
community space. The Creative Industries Strategy should address the potential for suitable
under-utilised or vacant state government facilities to be developed as creative industry hubs
which could include office, working/production and exhibition/presentation spaces.
Local government can make a significant contribution to the ‘creative spaces and places’
domain of the Creative Industries Strategy. Through local government’s wide range of roles
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in planning, infrastructure, place-making, the built environment and the management of
cultural and heritage facilities, the MAV advocates that Creative Victoria work closely with
local government, and as recommended, other key planning bodies, to ensure that the
strategy integrates a comprehensive, best-practice and ‘planning informed’ approach. We
support the thinking around cultural precincts and hubs. One of the significant contributions
that can be made by local government is to adopt a place-based approach to embedding
creativity and culture as an integral part of our ordinary places and spaces. In addition to the
important role of dedicated cultural facilities and their programs, a place-based approach can
promote creative product and creative experiences as part of the ordinary and everyday
experience of visitors and users of libraries, shopping centres, town squares, and sporting
and recreation facilities. This may range from public art in community, civic and commercial
spaces, to pop up creative industries showcased in empty shops, and other commercial and
public buildings (as in Marcus Westbury’s Renew Australia Model), through to active and
passive audience experiences of performance and installations within town squares and
central gathering places, such as Federation Square. (see: below - City of Maroondah’s
integration of arts and cultural experiences within a commercial precinct).
While there are extensive possibilities of low-cost and innovative approaches to enhancing
creative spaces and places, supporting and maintaining local arts and heritage infrastructure
requires a major capital investment from the Victorian Government. All local government
budgets are under pressure, but maintenance of key cultural facilities and heritage buildings
places a particularly high burden on small rural councils, particularly those with diminishing
populations.
The Creative Spaces program sources, secures and manages work and exhibition spaces for people
in the creative industries. It provides knowledge, expertise and resources to artists, arts organisations,
government and private and public sectors.
Creative Spaces is a program of the City of Melbourne. It partners with government, philanthropic,
private organisations, and educational institutions to provide a broad range of services around space
for arts and cultural production. The program underwrites cultural production by brokering, letting,
subletting and developing affordable space for the creative industries. Where space is available
Creative Spaces brokers it. Where space is in short supply, it creates it.
http://www.creativespaces.net.au/about-us
Community consultations undertaken by Maroondah City Council for the Maroondah 2040 community
vision have clearly indicated that ‘art as a part of everyday life’ is a priority for this outer eastern
metropolitan community. With Ringwood as a designated Major Activity Centre within the state’s
planning framework there is an unprecedented level of public and private investment and
development which is transforming this area into a regional centre. Council’s Arts and Cultural
Development Strategy 2014 – 2018 responds to the community’s aspirations and current
opportunities by committing to presenting a range of arts and cultural experiences, and supporting
creative industries. Council will seek public and private partners to deliver on the concept of a
Ringwood arts web to include a set of linked sites for innovative arts programming within the new
Town Square, Eastland shopping centre, Railway Station, and the new Ringwood Library Learning
and Cultural Centre ‘Realm’, which will be sited in the centre of the commercial precinct.
Source: Maroondah City Council response to ‘Let’s Get Creative about Victoria’s Future’
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Theme 4:
Cultivating skills, entrepreneurship and innovation
There are multiple opportunities for state and local government partnerships to support skills,
entrepreneurship and innovation. Local councils provide support for business incubators,
and could provide the same expertise and support for Arts Business Incubators. In
partnership with Small Business Victoria, councils could sponsor creative industries training,
delivered through local government.
The Creative Industries Strategy should investigate strategies to support locally-based
opportunities for councils to support artists to grow and develop their arts practice as a
business. Gaining an enhanced level of exposure is key to emerging artists taking the next
step – whether that is through physical presentation or exhibition of work, or assisting artists
to create their online presence. With appropriate support, there may also be opportunities for
councils to broker mentoring relationships between established successful artists and newly
emerging artists in their local communities, or for councils to showcase the work of their
home-grown talent in local newspapers, through social media or online platforms.
The Pop Up Art enterprise is an example of three regional councils working in partnership
with the state government and an affiliation of arts organisations to provide a platform for
online and physical presentation of work and sales platform that would not otherwise be
available to individual artists.
Pop-Up Art is an arts enterprise concept to support visual artists to sell more work. It is an enterprise
led by Jump Arts, and supported by Mount Alexander Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council and
Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Regional Development Victoria and a range of Melbourne and
regional arts spaces, practitioners and organisations. The project has involved extensive
consultations with artists and the conduct of a feasibility study.
While it is generally recognised that arts and culture enrich our townships and communities across a
broad spectrum…local artists generally feel that they are not directly receiving sufficient economic
benefits, in relation to their contribution. This project is designed to address ‘economic invisibility’.
While artistic activity serves to make local towns more attractive destinations, local creative
communities are not necessarily economically benefitting. Local artists and arts leaders have
confirmed ‘the need and want’ to organise for enterprise. The concept is based on apparently simple
premises – you have to be seen to be sold. The ambition is to be seen – regionally, statewide,
nationally and internationally.
Source: Project background, Accessed at: http://popupart.com.au/documents/
Theme 5:
Harnessing the opportunities of digital technology
Digital technology provides endless opportunities for artists and creative professionals in
terms of their practice, their connection to the national and international creative community,
and in terms of a marketing and sales platform.
One of the key roles available to local government in this domain is to facilitate access to
digital technology. The most suitable avenue for this is through the statewide network of
public libraries. The Creative Industries Strategy should support and develop opportunities
16
for artists to ‘harness the opportunities of digital technology’ through public libraries. The
MAV reinforces the points made in the PLVN submission – that there is uneven distribution
of services across the Victorian public library network, and that there is a need to address
this and to ensure that there is a consistent level of resources and access available to all
Victorians. Further, there are considerable opportunities to extend and amplify the digital
technological offerings of libraries, and for greater collaboration between artists and their
local libraries.
This submission provides a range of examples that show how councils are using technology
to support local and regional artists. The Creative Industries Strategy should investigate
further opportunities where local government can provide the conduit to technology in
supporting, and working with, local artists.
Theme 6:
Increasing participation and social impact
Increasing participation and achieving positive social impact through the creative and cultural
life of communities are fundamental aims of local government’s work in the arts and a major
focus for municipal investment. Victorian councils have been leaders in the field of
community cultural development for many years. We hold a wealth of history, knowledge
and experience in this field, we are members of mature, working partnerships across the
private, community and public sectors, and we have supported an extensive research
agenda that is relevant to the role of the arts participation and social impact, through the
work of the Cultural Development Network. Supporting healthy, connected and engaged
communities is an aspiration shared by all councils, and we have a deep understanding of
how creative and cultural participation and engagement can support this. In an increasingly
digitally connected world, we understand how precious it is to simply bring people together in
the shared experience of cultural and community celebrations.
The MAV commends the discussion paper for taking a social justice focus, and reinforces
the need to ensure that the Creative Industries Strategy has an explicit focus on inclusion
and supporting under-represented voices. We strongly endorse that the strategy explicitly
supports investment in Aboriginal arts and culture. We also support the inclusion of a
multicultural focus, which celebrates our diverse multicultural communities and artists and
the sharing inter-cultural experiences. We recommend that opportunities to tap into global
markets, global engagement and global tourism through the creative wealth of our
Indigenous artists and arts organisations, and our multicultural artists and multicultural arts
organisations are investigated and resourced through the Creative Industries Strategy.
In addition to local government’s focus on inclusion, participation, and social and community
wellbeing, councils typically develop multi-year action plans to guide their efforts and
investments in programmatic areas such as arts and culture. Local government is wellplaced to provide the state government with a comprehensive overview of creative and
cultural activities planned across the state, and to partner with Creative Victoria to explore
opportunities to enhance and expand the role of creative and cultural industries in
addressing social issues and challenges. We can also work with our colleagues in the areas
of public health, maternal and child health, children’s services, youth services, disability
services and aged care, to take a broad perspective around the social impacts of creative
and cultural participation.
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Further, matching local government funding programs on a dollar for dollar basis is an
excellent example of how the state’s investment for social goals could be increased, and
funding from both sources optimised for community benefit.
Local government would welcome the opportunity to partner with the state government to
research and explore further questions around social benefit, and can contribute a wealth of
existing knowledge and expertise. We would also welcome the opportunity to work with
Creative Victoria on developing a measurement framework which captures the social and
participatory benefits of arts participation, and on building a sound evidence base to
demonstrate impact and guide future strategies.
Theme 7:
Supporting Aboriginal arts and culture
A diverse range of strategies will be needed to ensure that Aboriginal arts and culture can
flourish, continuously develop, and be celebrated and promoted across Victoria. These
strategies will need to prioritise the perspectives and processes of Aboriginal communities,
artists and arts organisations.
From a local government perspective, one practical strategy which could strengthen the
integration of Aboriginal arts and culture across a wide range of settings is to encourage
organisations developing Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) to work closely with Indigenous
communities, artists and arts organisations, and to include arts and culture actions within
these Plans. This could include embedding arts and cultural dimensions into actions that
address local social, geographic, cultural heritage and tradition, social and cultural
development, education and economic contexts for example, as well as supporting local
Aboriginal arts business enterprises. The Creative Industries Strategy could explore whether
there is a role for local government to facilitate this work on municipal level, by bringing
together local Aboriginal community organisations and artists with other organisations
engaged in developing RAPs, to investigate ways to collectively support local Aboriginal arts
and culture.
Theme 8:
Advancing regional Victoria and outer metropolitan Melbourne
Creative Victoria’s discussion paper correctly identifies differential access to creative and
cultural opportunities across Victoria. In rural and regional Victoria, some areas have limited
access to resources. However, across our regions, there are also stories of creative and
cultural endeavours that hold state and national significance. Communities in outer
metropolitan areas can also have limited access to creative and cultural opportunities. These
limitations can be exacerbated by other factors, such as limited public transport.
Submissions from member councils will provide more detailed insights into the specific
challenges, opportunities and successes from various areas of the state.
The MAV’s overarching concern is to ensure communities across the state have fair and
equitable access to creative and cultural opportunities. We endorse the discussion paper’s
broad approach to addressing some of the geographical challenges, such as the use of
digital technology to overcome barriers of physical distance, and by exploring the creative
potential of our local spaces and places.
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The Creative Industries Strategy will need to explore the best ways to tailor solutions for
different regions. Our members also note that barriers to access exist for communities in
inner urban areas, and can include socio-economic or linguistic barriers, for example.
In rural and regional areas, councils face the challenge of maintaining heritage buildings and
cultural infrastructure within limited capital budgets. Given the significance of local heritage
and cultural institutions to the local arts ecology, the Creative Industries Strategy should
examine innovative ways to address these issues.
The MAV acknowledges Creative Victoria’s Regional Partnership Program as an important
initiative supporting public galleries and Performing Arts Centres across Victoria, and
recognises this as an important approach to addressing some of the barriers (outlined
above) experienced in the regions. The Creative Industries Strategy should acknowledge
this investment and support its continuation.
Attracting qualified and experienced creative professionals to rural and regional Victoria is
another challenge which will require support through the Creative Industries Strategy. Other
sectors, such as the health and legal professions, have grappled with this challenge and
have instituted initiatives such as rural and regional traineeships and secondments. Given
the social, cultural and economic benefits that can flow from the creative professions, this
approach could be explored in the Creative Industries Strategy. Knowing the multiplier
effects of creative cities and towns, this approach may be able to contribute to the
sustainability of local industries, and to the sustainability of rural towns and cities. Local
government authorities could well be appropriate host organisations for these traineeships or
secondments.
Middle and outer metropolitan councils endorse the approach of cultural precincts and
bringing art to the metropolitan hubs, which could be train stations, retail centres, community
centres and entertainment areas. In outer metropolitan Melbourne, to advance cultural
vitality, opportunities for creative development, arts participation and social sustainability,
Creative Victoria must work closely with the MAV and the Melbourne Planning Authority to
align investments and ensure that infrastructure plans integrate creative and cultural
opportunities. This should be reflected in the Creative Industries Strategy.
Theme 9:
Enhancing international engagement
While the MAV’s focus is essentially on the ‘local’, local government is well-networked
internationally. Many councils have relationships with overseas towns and cities. These
relationships can be further examined to explore opportunities for international cultural and
artistic exchanges. City of Greater Bendigo note that Punctum is an example of a successful
regional arts hub/entrepreneur/international player not run by council but linked to a council.
Theme 10: Increasing tourism
The MAV proudly notes that local government is frequently a key partner or supporter of the
many examples of ‘cultural tourism’ cited throughout the discussion paper. Local government
has a keen interest in tourism in terms of the sustainability and vitality of our local towns and
regional centres, generating local revenue and keeping people connected.
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The MAV is keen to ensure that local government’s voice is including in planning around
cultural tourism. We acknowledge Tourism Victoria’s key responsibilities in this area. We
recommend that there is opportunity for local government to contribute to the Creative
Industries Strategy’s work on cultural tourism, recognising that ‘the strengths of Victoria’s
cultural tourism offers lies in the diversity of our attractions.’3 Our cultural tourism successes
span the large and small, the quirky and the traditional, the spontaneous and the exquisitely
curated. We recognise that opportunities exist in many areas across Victoria to build or
strengthen cultural tourism. The MAV would welcome the opportunity to participate in
developing a strong and sustainable cultural tourism strategy for Victoria.
3
ibid, p.18
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7 Conclusions
The MAV commends Creative Victoria for the long-term, comprehensive and consultative
approach to developing a Creative Industries Strategy for Victoria.
Local government makes a substantial investment in the arts in Victoria, is a major owner
and supporter of cultural infrastructure across the state, has direct and indirect roles in
municipal arts and cultural programs, and is responsible for many complementary functions
such as local planning, economic development and public health.
Through our investments, multiple roles and responsibilities and most particularly through
our shared interest in contributing to Victoria as ‘a liveable, inclusive, prosperous and vibrant
society’, we believe that local government can offer valued perspectives and expertise
during the strategy development process. We look forward to strengthening the partnership
between the MAV and Creative Victoria, and contributing to the development of a Creative
Industries Strategy that will deliver social, cultural and economic benefits to all Victorians
and all municipalities across Victoria.
8 Recommendations
1. That the Creative Industries Strategy recognises the role and financial contribution of
local government in supporting Victoria’s creative and cultural industries.
2. That Creative Victoria works closely with the MAV in developing Victoria’s first Creative
Industries Strategy to ensure that local government’s expertise, perspectives and
interests are utilised and represented.
3. That Creative Victoria takes an integrated, whole-of-government approach to developing
the Creative Industries Strategy, directly involves local government, and clearly outlines
the roles and responsibilities of all levels of government, and how they will work together.
4. That the Creative Industries Strategy explores options for leveraging funding and
resources across state and local government, including the state government matching
local government arts grants funding on a dollar for dollar basis.
5. That Creative Victoria adopts an integrated planning focus in developing the Creative
Industries Strategy to ensure that the creative and cultural potential of proposed urban,
regional and rural developments is realised.
6. That Creative Victoria works in close consultation with local government and the
Metropolitan Planning Authority to ensure an approach to planning that integrates
thinking around potential creative and cultural opportunities.
7. That the Creative Industries Strategy investigates the option of including arts and cultural
investments as allowable items from infrastructure contributions.
8. That the Creative Industries Strategy accords equal weight to the social and cultural
contributions the creative and cultural industries make to Victoria as it does to their
economic contribution.
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9. That Creative Victoria works with the MAV and the CDN to develop the data and
evidence base around the creative and cultural industries and to ensure that this
includes the social and cultural as well as economic benefits of this work.
10. That the Victorian Government acknowledges the important social, cultural and
economic benefits of public libraries, as well as their contribution to our everyday
experience of culture and creativity. As a tangible symbol of this acknowledgement, it is
recommended that the Partnership Agreement between the Victorian Government and
Public Libraries Victoria Network is finalised and endorsed by both parties.
11. That through the Creative Industries Strategy, the Victorian Government provides
increased funding to public libraries to ensure that these critical cultural facilities can
provide a consistently high quality of service and so that the physical facilities can offer
flexible spaces to cater to new demand, build audiences and enable high quality cultural
experiences.
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