Arts and Culture Policy and Strategy Online Forum
Published on 10 September 2020
As a part of the community engagement process on the new draft Arts and Culture Policy 2020 and the draft Arts and Culture Strategy 2020-24, Northern Grampians Shire Council will be holding an online forum on Wednesday 16 September 2020 to give the region’s creative community another platform to discuss ideas and provide feedback on the draft policy and strategy.
The online forum will be hosted by Malcolm Sanders, a creative arts facilitator from Regional Arts Victoria. Mr Sanders has a wealth of experience working closely with artists, communities and local government in supporting arts policy development.
The forum will be held as a Zoom webinar from 6pm to 7.30pm and will be recorded and available for download upon request after the forum has finished.
The main driver of the forum will be to revisit the constructive comments and suggestions received from the recent survey hosted on council’s website and also provide an opportunity for shire residents to express any further ideas they think need to be included in the arts and culture policy.
The online forum provides another level of accessibility in the engagement process for residents who prefer to talk rather than write their thoughts.
It is hoped that this forum will give a final burst of positive momentum in the feedback process and encourage the community to be engaged in the next phase which will be the finalisation of the Arts and Culture Policy 2020 and the Arts and Culture Strategy 2020-24.
The draft Arts and Culture Policy 2020 and the Arts and Culture Strategy 2020-24 are expected to be endorsed by council at the end of this year.
Northern Grampians Shire Council Mayor, Murray Emerson, expects the facilitator-led forum will be able to stimulate a lot of valuable contributions from the local creative sector.
“Thank you to the community members who contributed to the online survey and have given us much food for thought and a good basis for further discussion at this forum,” he said.
“Providing opportunities for arts and cultural expression is essential for the wellbeing of our community. It is also a big economic driver with a number of events that generate substantial revenue for our shire.”
“We know that community consultation is essential in the formation of any council policy or strategy and that our wonderful, local, creative talent deserve to be well supported in their endeavours to create and inspire within the shire.”
“This online forum is a critical part of our engagement with the community on the future of arts and culture in the region and I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to have their say on what they think our future should look like in this domain.”
Find out more at www.ngshire.vic.gov.au/arts-culture