17.09.2019Creating a vibrant cultural economy for Melbourne and Victoria

The Committee’s Arts and Culture Taskforce aspires to create an integrated vision for Melbourne as a vibrant, global destination for arts, culture, and design.

The Committee was therefore delighted to draw on the contribution of our Taskforce for the Committee’s submission to the Victorian Government’s Creative Industries Strategy 2020-2024.

In the submission, the Committee provided practical suggestions on the specific themes listed in the strategy and some ideas for how the sector might be better led and governed.

The key to a vibrant and successful creative Victoria is an ecosystem which will support, sustain and strengthen Victoria’s creative economy and all those who contribute to it as an essential platform for Victoria’s success as a liveable, prosperous, global city.

This is not simply a matter of funding, although we note that Victorian funding for the creative sector is not indexed, so from a funding perspective the sector is going backward.

The development of a joint strategy or campaign between Visit Victoria and Creative Victoria – would be a good place to start.

We suggest the establishment of a “Creativity Commission” to provide an overarching governance and strategy framework to embed arts and culture in a cross-sectoral way across the community, business and government. This recognises that creativity can have a measurable and economic benefit for business and community.

Melbourne will also benefit from a cultural tourism policy and associated brand campaign which presents Melbourne as a base from which to reach other areas of cultural activity in the regions.

Greater Melbourne’s reputation as an international creative capital is high, but there is a surprising lack of suitable spaces for residencies for visiting international artists and local artists. Melbourne has an opportunity to reposition Greater Melbourne as a globally competitive destination for international residencies.

In addition to the Arts Precinct, other precincts also provide a vital and vibrant creative addition to the community, economy and surrounding businesses – such as Fisherman’s Bend, Bundoora University Future Vision and the Brunswick Design District (BDD)[1] and emerging precincts in the North-West and South-East corridor.  These precincts contribute innovation and creativity to the community and should be fostered and recognised in the Creative Strategy.

Read the submission

Related information

A win for the Melbourne Arts Precinct Legacy Project

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Arts & Culture Summary of Ideas

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Arts and Culture Taskforce meeting – a conversation with Andrew Abbott

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Sustaining Creative Workers

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Free Tram Zone

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Free Tram Zone Extension

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