ARTS POLICY
To maintain the City of Melbourne’s longstanding reputation as a centre of arts and culture, Council has an important role to play in supporting new and emerging arts and artists whilst promoting Melbourne’s world-leading creative industries.
Principles
| 1 | Melbourne artists from a diverse range of practices, cultures and backgrounds play an essential role in our City’s cultural life. Government has an important role to directly and indirectly support artists to create. | ||
| 2 | Aboriginal artists and their work represent unique cultures and heritage and must be supported, respected and appropriately protected through Council policy and funding. | ||
| 3 | Arts funding processes must be transparent, accountable and free from political interference and censorship. | ||
| 4 | All residents and visitors to Melbourne should be encouraged and supported to participate in and enjoy the arts, regardless of ability and financial means. | ||
| Aims | |||
| 1 | Expand Council’s Creative Spaces program to provide more spaces in central Melbourne for artists to work and collaborate affordably. | ||
| 2 | Establish incentives for the development of affordable residential and live/work spaces for artists in urban renewal areas. | ||
| 3 | Continually evolve public art programs which maximise access to exciting and innovative art in the public realm. | ||
| 4 | Support the North Melbourne arts precinct as a centre of emerging, contemporary and independent arts. | ||
| 5 | Recognise, protect and support Melbourne’s live music venues. | ||
| 6 | Continually review City of Melbourne arts funding policies to ensure funding:a) is accessible to a range of artists and arts organisations of all practices and backgrounds;b) supports creative development as well as final presentation of works; andc) is free from political interference and censorship. | ||
| 7 | Embed artists’ work into a broader range of the Council’s projects, programs and services. | ||
| 8 | Build the YIRRAMBOI Festival through partnerships to become a truly sustainable and accessible premier event. | ||
| 9 | Continue to find new ways to acknowledge and make visible the City’s Aboriginal heritage. | ||
| 10 | Participate in international creative city networks to inspire best practice in public policy, artist employment and community creativity. | ||
| 11 | Promote and support Melbourne’s internationally renowned street art scene and its contribution to Melbourne’s vibrant urban culture. | ||
| 12 | Expand Council’s Signal and ArtPlay programs to allow greater access to creative experiences for young people. | ||
| 13 | Broaden Council’s participatory arts programs to ensure that community members across the municipality (of all ages and backgrounds) have opportunities to directly participate in community-based arts projects. | ||
| 14 | Support Melbourne’s arts organisations to practise and operate as sustainably as possible. | ||