Released 31/01/2018
The ACT Government has released the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Consultation Report and Action Plan. The Action Plan prioritises key areas for new programs and activities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and responds directly to detailed feedback received during the consultation process.
“The ACT Government has been working collaboratively with members from our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community through an ongoing consultation process which has helped to guide how we can better provide more support and help improve inclusion in the arts,” Minister for the Arts Gordon Ramsay said.
“The priorities set out in the Action Plan establish a clear direction for the development and support of programs and activities in the arts specifically targeted for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”
The Action Plan promotes respect for culture through engagement, supporting artistic and arts business development.
“We know how important it is to promote local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and this Action Plan is one way we will make it easier for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to take part in ACT Government funded arts programs, organisations and facilities,” Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Rachel Stephen-Smith said.
“The Action Plan also establishes a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Network to work in partnership with artsACT to plan and design programs based on their priorities and to act as a conduit for information between their communities and the ACT Government.”
“A key finding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultation Report is the importance of ensuring self-determination for the sector through participative decision making and program co-design and to make sure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are able to hear about opportunities through their own established networks and news channels,” Minister Ramsay said.
“The celebration of culture is a key measure in the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Agreement 2015-2018 and the role of the arts is central to this,” Minister Stephen-Smith concluded.
The ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Consultation Report, Action Plan and more information about the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Network, including how to register your interest can be accessed through the artsACT website at http://www.arts.act.gov.au.
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Gordon Ramsay, MLA | Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases