Image: supplied.
The economic transition of Western Australia is well documented. Previously buoyed by the resources boom, the question now is what role will the creative and cultural industries hold in the state’s future?
The outlook is promising. Cultural tourism and the creative industries are set to become key economic drivers for Western Australia, with Premier McGowan convening a Creative Industries roundtable last year and the State’s Tourism and Arts Ministers working on a Cultural Tourism initiative.
This year, the discussion around arts’ role in the state’s future will continue at REMIX Academy Perth, co-presented by the Chamber of Arts and Culture WA and the City of Perth with support from the WA State Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. The conference will be opened by Premier McGowan.
As REMIX Summits Co-founder Peter Tullin explained, the Academy program differs from the broader international Summit events. ‘REMIX Academy is more focused around the specific challenges of where it takes place,’ he said.
‘In the case of Western Australia, it’s about how to grow the creative industries as a way to diversify the economy, looking at growing cultural tourism and what the future of these local industries will be.’
Returning to Perth for the second time on 2 August, REMIX Academy Perth will bring together local, national, and international speakers to continue the conversation on the importance of the creative economy in WA in the wake of the mining boom.
The Chamber of Arts and Culture has been closely involved in speaker selection in order to ensure relevance to the Western Australian audience.
‘We have programmed the 2018 Perth Academy by really focusing on where the state economy can drive a lot of growth from the creative industries,’ said Simon Cronshaw, Co-founder of REMIX Summits.
‘Specifically, looking at this shift from mining and what happens beyond mining, and the growing importance of the cultural and creative economy.’
The program will address three broad themes, exploring how cultural tourism can drive innovation and revenue, as well as the activation of creative centres through creative placemaking. A third program stream looks at creative innovation on platforms and how new technologies can be adopted to create cultural experiences.
‘These are top table issues in government,’ said Tullin, remarking on how the 2017 event brought together government officials with the usual ‘culture crowd’ who attend these industry conferences.
‘This is definitely an attempt to bring together the wider stakeholders than just those within the creative industries, bringing in all the people who are helping to shape Perth and WA as a city and state where it has the best possible chance of growing its economy,’ he added.
Keynote speakers include MONA’s Director of Marketing and Communications Robbie Brammall; Director of Urban Nation Museum in Berlin, Yasha Young; Creative Director of The Calvert Journal, Ekow Eshun; and COO of Goolarri Media Enterprises, Kira Fong.
View the full list of REMIX Academy Perth speakers here.
Tickets to REMIX Academy: Perth are now on sale. Visit REMIXsummits.com/perth to find out more about the program.
