11.06.2019Meet the Minister | Martin Foley

Committee for Melbourne’s Arts and Culture Taskforce was delighted to have The Hon. Martin Foley MP, Minister for Creative Industries, address a very well attended meeting of members on Wednesday 12 June.

The Minister spoke about  the integral role of the Committee and its member organisations collaborating with government to promote a vibrant arts and culture scene and a confident cultural economy in Greater Melbourne. The creative industry sector is vast and diversin its creative output, and the manner in which it works and operates. The Minister argued for a dynamic and continuously evolving approach to developing the sector in Greater Melbourne.

While the Minister lauded the economic benefit of the sector to Melbourne, the intrinsic cultural worth of creativity should not be overlooked. He reminded members that we must constantly think about how we can reimagine cultural institutions and their intersection with civic spaces – which underpis the vision of the Arts Precinct redevelopment. These places should help immerse the public inMelbourne’s Arts and Culture offerings, and become part of the fabric of Melbourne’s identity. The Minister also supported measures such as zoning to promote creativity.

The Minister then joined a panel discussion with Bree Trevena, Lead Research + Innovation at Arup and Claire Spencer, CEO of the Arts Centre Melbourne. They discussed the once in a generation opportunity to recreate the Arts Precinct, and the model it provides for other place-based approach with an integrated social, cultural and economic perspective for other parts of Greater Melbourne and Victoria.

The Minister confirmed that the Government plays a pivotal role in driving change to facilitate community and private sector investment and partnerships.  The absence of a federal government vision for promoting arts, culture and creativity was raised.  Building out Melbourne’s other creative clusters outside the CBD and the value of a First Nations building were other ideas discussed, as was the importance of residencies and affordable locations to build the next generation of creative talent.

The Committee thanks Minister Foley and panellists Bree Trevena and Claire Spencer for their time and insights.
If you wish to be involved in the Arts and Culture Taskforce, please contact David Prior.

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