Strategies look at where we’ve been, where we are now and where we could and should be. Our draft creative strategy could not exist in its current form without the strong foundations built as a result of the 2014–17 Arts Strategy: Australia’s first cultural infrastructure plan, robust funding mechanisms for creative people and organisations, programs that value and interpret cultural heritage and more. These are enshrined now in the way we operate. However there were two points from the How is the creative strategy different to the expired arts strategy? old strategy we believe were realised at only a fraction of their true potential: recognising and valuing the contribution creative people make to our city and forging connections between creatives and others. We believe it is these two elements that have the transformative ability to take Melbourne to a new place in relation to creativity, for the benefit of all who live, visit and work here, including creative practitioners themselves. There are a plethora of recent studies that look deeply at the demographic and economic context of Melbourne, including those commissioned recently by Creative Victoria. The City of Melbourne commissions its own research, including for the development of the latest 10-year Future Melbourne Community Plan, four-year Council Plan and a review of its many expiring strategies and plans. We revisited all of them in depth, including the 400-odd pieces of feedback that contributed to our Creative City goal. We collected and read creative strategies from New York, London, Berlin, Adelaide, Sydney, Boston, Portland, Singapore, Tokyo, Paris, Montreal and many more. We also took another close look at our expired Art Strategy. We found most cities aspired to similar things: a more equitable city, What research took place to underpin the strategy? greater diversity, an expression of their city’s unique identity, provision of infrastructure and funding. What we realised was that these aspirations were either already outlined in depth in Future Melbourne and our Council Plan, along with clear objectives, priorities and measures, or they were part of our business as usual – developing and managing creative spaces, funding creative people and projects and so on. We had a choice. We could add to the already significant body of research available, repeat ourselves and cherry pick from what the community has already told us, discarding bits along the way. Alternatively we could forge a bold new path, integrating creative practice into everything our community holds dear, creating dynamic new connections and expanding our ambitions for creativity so that it applied to a much bigger canvas.
How is the creative strategy different to the expired arts strategy? Strategies look at where we’ve been, where we are now and where we could and should be. Our draft creative strategy could not exist in its current form without the strong foundations built as a result of the 2014–17 Arts Strategy: Australia’s first cultural infrastructure plan, robust funding mechanisms for creative people and organisations, programs that value and interpret cultural heritage and more. These are enshrined now in the way we operate. However there were two points from the old strategy we believe were realised at only a fraction of their true potential: recognising and valuing the contribution creative people make to our city and forging connections between creatives and others. We believe it is these two elements that have the transformative ability to take Melbourne to a new place in relation to creativity, for the benefit of all who live, visit and work here, including creative practitioners themselves. What research took place to underpin the strategy? There are a plethora of recent studies that look deeply at the demographic and economic context of Melbourne, including those commissioned recently by Creative Victoria. The City of Melbourne commissions its own research, including for the development of the latest 10-year Future Melbourne Community Plan, four-year Council Plan and a review of its many expiring strategies and plans. We revisited all of them in depth, including the 400-odd pieces of feedback that contributed to our Creative City goal. We collected and read creative strategies from New York, London, Berlin, Adelaide, Sydney, Boston, Portland, Singapore, Tokyo, Paris, Montreal and many more. We also took another close look at our expired Art Strategy. We found most cities aspired to similar things: a more equitable city, greater diversity, an expression of their city’s unique identity, provision of infrastructure and funding. What we realised was that these aspirations were either already outlined in depth in Future Melbourne and our Council Plan, along with clear objectives, priorities and measures, or they were part of our business as usual – developing and managing creative spaces, funding creative people and projects and so on. We had a choice. We could add to the already significant body of research available, repeat ourselves and cherry pick from what the community has already told us, discarding bits along the way. Alternatively we could forge a bold new path, integrating creative practice into everything our community holds dear, creating dynamic new connections and expanding our ambitions for creativity so that it applied to a much bigger canvas.
Creative_Strategy_-_frequently_asked_questions_faq.DOCX