Have an opinion on arts and culture in Sydney?
Well, you could go to your local fashionable cafe, sitting amongst the terrariums and deliberately mismatched furniture, sipping over priced soy lattes and contemplating Stelarc‘s latest skin graft while whinging about how studio rent is so expensive in Surry Hills OR you could read the new City of Sydney cultural policy discussion paper, tell them what you reckon, and make your voice count.
The outcomes of the new cultural policy will influence the way arts are produced, funded and consumed in Sydney. And to their credit, the city is asking for your opinion.
Too busy designing bird illustrations for an obscure magazine? The discussion paper is really nicely laid out, easy on the eye and very pleasant read. It also contains some fascinating facts and figures about the arts and the city we live in. It also cites examples and ideas from the world’s leading cities and their cultural programs.
Over the weekend I attended a stakeholder’s workshop, and it was fantastic to hear Rachel Healy, the city’s Executive Manager of Culture speak on the council’s vision, passion and commitment to the arts. My fellow artists had some great ideas, and the session was thought provoking and exciting.
I urge you to read the discussion paper and join in the conversation. Big things are happening, be a part of them.