In September 2023, this writer had the privilege of attending Regional Arts Australia’s (RAA) Artlands in Canberra. The immense cultural diversity in that room was testament to the diversity of artists and arts workers in the regions.
Scott Howie, General Manager of Regional Arts Australia, shares a similar view: ‘There is a structural problem in how the stories of regional Australia get told outside of regional Australia. It’s important to consider, who thinks regional arts is monocultural? Because I certainly don’t and those of us who practise out here don’t. So, I think if there is that view being pushed, it has to be coming from a stereotyped cliché of what regional Australia looks like.
