How artists can rebrand soft power through regional exchange

How are artists bringing new meaning to soft power through exchange and cultural diplomacy across the Asia Pacific? A new report invites further discussion for future policy change.

Under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the Federal Government released the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper. It touted the nation’s soft-power strengths and capabilities for greater opportunities abroad, defining soft power ‘as the ability to influence the behaviour and thinking of others through the power of attraction and ideas.’

In the three years that have passed, Asialink Arts has recognised that the conversation has largely stagnated at the top level, and that the opportunity for soft power is one that could, alternatively, sit at the centre of reshaping and strengthening future policy for the arts and culture sector.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina