Ipswich City Council Arts and Cultural Strategy

MAKING IT HAPPEN – OUR ACTION PLAN Embracing and celebrating our cultural heritage and diversity Cultural heritage is fundamental in creating a ‘sense of place’ for our community. We are rich in cultural heritage – from the stories of our traditional owners, to the new cultures that the migrants of yesterday and today carry with them. OUR OBJECTIVE: The cultures and histories of Ipswich will be a source of pride for our residents Actions 1.1 Celebrate and highlight the culture and art of our First Peoples in civic buildings and public spaces 1.2 Welcome and support the cultures of our recent and new migrant communities 1.3 Support showcasing of our diverse cultures through facilitating access to spaces and places for presentation, and promotion through Council channels 1.4 Provide opportunities for story-telling and the sharing of our cultures and histories 1.5 Maintain our commitment to high quality heritage preservation and encourage the adaptive reuse of buildings 1.6 Feature and enhance knowledge of and engagement with our built heritage through effective signage and interpretation 1.7 Use Apps and digital communications to connect with and interpret our heritage assets Activating and engaging the whole of our city Culturally activated cities bridge age and cultural barriers to create connected communities. OUR OBJECTIVE: Locally and nationally, Ipswich will have a reputation as a culturally vibrant destination. Arts and culture will be an integral part of our lives Actions 2.1 Develop a coordinated strategy to generate a lively, activated streetscape both day and night, through outdoor performance and festival programming, street art and mural installations 2.2 Support the activation of our city through increasing density and supporting commercial activity after hours 2.3 Develop and adopt a Public Art Strategy which stimulates the generation of new work in public spaces, commercial buildings and civic buildings and spaces throughout our city 2.4 Integrate creative lighting and public art to create safe and lively city spaces, parks and precincts 2.5 Develop a ’welcome pack’ for new residents, featuring arts and cultural connections and opportunities 2.6 Develop a strategy to incentivise and encourage first-time arts attendance for Ipswich residents – introducing residents to our cultural offerings 2.7 Partner with local businesses and others to increase accessibility of arts and cultural activities to a diverse community Supporting and increasing engagement with our creative community Creative practice and creative thinking are not only at the heart of the arts – they are essential for business innovation, technological progress and a productive civic life. Our creatives are beacons of the kind of community we want to be. OUR OBJECTIVE: Creative practitioners will choose Ipswich as a preferred location for their work Actions 3.1 Feature our local creatives on Council’s website and in our tourism, economic development and other communications 3.2 Foster and actively support the inclusion of local content in Festivals and facilities supported by Council 3.3 Facilitate networking activities between our creatives and our education and business communities to encourage partnerships and create opportunities for our creatives 3.4 Facilitate skills development programs for organisations, artists and cultural groups – to strengthen marketing, entrepreneurial and presentation capabilities 3.5 Complete planning and initiate development of the Ipswich Performing Arts Centre 3.6 Develop a strategy to provide increased access to Council properties for creatives 3.7 Provide merit-based funding to creative practitioners and leaders 3.8 Undertake a ‘cultural facilities’ mapping and integrate into broader facilities strategy Building creative capacity amongst our young people Beyond enhancing our city’s cultural life, creative skills development will have social, civic and employment benefits, and strengthen opportunities for our young people. OUR OBJECTIVE: Our community’s creative abilities and skills will be constantly improving Actions 4.1 Initiate arts and cultural mentoring programs for young people 4.2 Facilitate increased opportunities for creatives to connect with communities 4.3 Facilitate access to infrastructure to support cultural and artistic expression for youth 4.4 Support youth-focused programs at the Ipswich Art Gallery, Community Gallery and our performing arts facilities 4.5 Continue to listen to our young people, and adapt our arts and cultural initiatives to address their evolving needs 4.6 Foster engagement in creative diversity through funded access programs for young people Listening, communicating and providing leadership for our community Actively listening to the community will ensure programs and actions meet the needs and expectations of stakeholders. Enhancing city leadership will ensure that the full ambition of the Strategy is realised over the next five years. OUR OBJECTIVE: Our cultural planning and action will be well-informed by the needs and perspectives of the community Actions 5.1 Improve communication channels to inform residents and tourists of upcoming arts and cultural events and activities 5.2 Hold periodic forums to maintain close understanding of the evolving creative community 5.3 Survey creative practitioners and cultural groups periodically to learn more about their needs and aspirations 5.4 Provide adaptive leadership to ensure the planning and actioning of arts and cultural activities and programs are responsive to community feedback 5.5 Foster a collaborative governance model between Council and the cultural sector for relevant arts and cultural initiatives 1 2 3 4 5 19 18