Is the Australia Council still relevant?

The Chairs of the independent Australia Council Review today launched an online survey aimed at identifying a broad range of views about the relevance and support the Australia Council provided to the arts, culture and creative industries.

During the public consultation on the National Cultural Policy discussions paper many of the 450 public submissions received discussed the role of the agency, according to Arts Minister Simon Crean.

“The Australia Council has a proud history of supporting artists and organisations to develop their talent and showcase their work to national and international audiences,” he said.

Chairs of the Review, Mr Angus James and Ms Gabrielle Trainor, want to follow on from the public consultation and ask the sector if the original purpose of the Australia Council remains relevant today.

“As part of their review, the Chairs have developed an online survey over the last few weeks which is designed to draw out the sector’s views and to see what changes, if any, they would like to see made to the Australia Council.

“The Australia Council represents a significant part of our support for the arts and cultural sector and it is vital that the agency continues to play a significant role as we develop the National Cultural Policy.

“The outcomes of the independent review will be considered as part of the National Cultural Policy – which will establish the direction for the Australian Government’s support for the arts, culture and the creative industries for the next ten years and beyond.”

Interested parties are strongly encouraged to respond to the survey after Mr James and Ms Trainor said it was important that stakeholders from across all art forms, industry groups and those with an interest in the agency provide feedback on which aspects of the agency can be approved.

For further information please go to http://culture.arts.gov.au/australia-council-review-survey