NSW Government reveals plan to boost creative and cultural industries in the state

The New South Wales (NSW) Government has unveiled the details of Creative Communities, a new arts, culture and creative industries policy for the Australian state. 

Based over the next decade, NSW’s first creative industries policy will support the traditional arts sector and cultural institutions, while also focusing on offerings that have more diverse strengths.

These include First Nations cultures, galleries, libraries, archives and museums, as well as theatre, dance, circus, comedy and cabaret, and classical and contemporary music. Further support will be allocated for other arts offerings such as literature, broadcasting, and visual arts and crafts.

The goal of Creative Communities is to sustainably grow the depth and breadth of the creative industries throughout NSW, while also hoping to boost exports of Australian stories to the world.

“We are lucky to live in NSW, a state rich in creativity. The state’s first arts, culture and creative industries policy commits the government to advocating for the value of culture, to enabling and investing in culture with the whole of government,” said NSW’s Minister for Arts John Graham.

Creative Communities commits to a whole-of-government effort to advocate for, to enable and invest in the arts, culture and creative industries. It will also work with safeguarding and modernising spaces and conditions for people within these industries, while also encouraging the next generation of cultural workers.

More specifically, the NSW Government will also aid festivals across the state by strengthening the coordination of event support. It will also review the Entertainment Act to identify ways to strengthen support for festivals, venues, artists, managers and music workers.

Elsewhere, Sound NSW, with its new advisory board and collaboration with Music Australia, will look to reshape the music sector.

“A thriving cultural sector is welcoming for younger generations… the grass roots for the next generation of great artists, makers, creative thinkers and doers. The drive for a thriving creative and cultural sector has a number of benefits and outcomes, including a more diverse and resilient economy,” added Graham.