National Cultural Policy

In 2009 the Federal Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced a new discussion process about Australia’s Cultural Policy.  The announcement was made at a speech to the National Press Club and outlined the framework for this discussion.  There has been another round of consultation since, led by the new Minister Simon Crean, which we’re posted an article about here.

Here are the Minister’s top reasons for what he likes about the arts:

1. The arts are fun – from the mosh-pit to the Opera House;

2. The arts are good for you – they keep the mind alert and the body active;

3. The arts help you understand yourself, describe your identity and fulfil your potential;

4. The arts bind communities – creating groups and networks in shared experiences;

5. The arts contribute to the economy – creating jobs, exports, tourism, new goods and services;

6. The arts drive innovation – in new technology and new applications of old technology and in thinking up new ways to express and entertain;

7. The arts nourish learning – boosting literacy and numeracy levels, preserving our great collections and making them accessible;

8. The arts are local – they help you understand your country, a Yirrkala bark painting or The Man from Snowy River or a movie like Lantana;

9. The arts are universal – they speak a common language to every man, woman and child; and,

10. The arts express the zenith of human experience and capacity – they’re a source of boundless inspiration.

Now that submissions have closed we have some interesting ideas arising from the various submissions.  Some of these are very long, and there were 117 formal submissions, so we can pick out a few things which are relevant to youth music.

Only a handful of the submissions have been used here.