Act Government Submission
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ACT GOVERNMENT SUBMISSION TO THE INQUIRY INTO CANBERRA’S NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CONDUCTED BY THE JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE NATIONAL CAPITAL AND EXTERNAL TERRITORIES PARLIAMENT OF AUSTRALIA ACT GOVERNMENT MAY 2018 May 2018 CONTENT INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 RESPONSE TO THE INQUIRY’S TERMS OF REFERENCE .................................. 1 1. CREATING A STRONG BRAND AND ONLINE PRESENCE ................................................... 1 2. EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW FORMS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION .................................................................................................................... 5 3. CONDUCTING OUTREACH OUTSIDE CANBERRA ............................................................. 5 4. CULTIVATING PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT....................................................................... 6 5. DEVELOPING OTHER INCOME STREAMS ......................................................................... 7 6. ENSURING THE APPROPRIATENESS OF GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES ............................. 7 7. OTHER MATTERS ........................................................................................................... 10 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................ 11 REFERENCES ......................................................................................... 12 May 2018 INTRODUCTION The national institutions based in Canberra are a cultural hub generating a wealth of knowledge and experiences for all Australians. Located mostly in the heart of Australia’s capital city, our national institutions engage widely across Australian society, with institutions dedicated to the arts, science, environment, sport, democracy and more. These institutions are a representation of our communities’ identity, giving expression to Australian values and ingenuity. It is crucial that our national institutions receive adequate support from the Australian Government to continue to fulfil this role. The ACT Government recognises the importance of all the national institutions, however this submission focusses primarily on Canberra’s national cultural institutions. RESPONSE TO THE INQUIRY’S TERMS OF REFERENCE 1. CREATING A STRONG BRAND AND ONLINE PRESENCE National pride in our institutions – the value of history and storytelling Canberra’s national institutions collectively tell the Australian story. Inside the galleries, museums, archives and library collections are the treasures of a nation. Open to the Australian public to embrace, the collections provide a valuable interpretation of what it means to be Australian: from its culturally rich and ancient past, through its colonial history, and into the present modern, multicultural society of today. Many of these institutions play a significant role in preserving Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artefacts, art and stories. For example the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander bark art is housed at the National Museum of Australia, while the National Gallery of Australia has the world’s largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art collection in the world, comprising of 7,500 pieces. The National Film and Sound Archive preserves and restores film and sound recordings of the works of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, while the National Library of Australia holds significant records including the historic papers of Edward Koiki Mabo. National cultural institutions form an integral part of the Canberra visitor experience, with a record 2.75 million domestic overnight visitors and 243,000 international visitors to Canberra in 2017. The cultural significance of these institutions is highlighted through historic, educational, scientific, artistic, sporting, environmental and social interpretation. It is a core part of defining a growing multicultural nation for the people of Australia and for international visitors wanting to understand more about the Australian culture and way of life. In 2017, further reinforcing the educational and cultural significance of Canberra’s national institutions, more than 160,000 school age children from all over Australia travelled to Canberra to discover and learn about civics, citizenship, democracy, history, science and art. May 2018 1 Schools are supported by the Australian Government though the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER), which provides variable financial assistance for Australian students in Year 4-12 to travel to Canberra. Students are required to visit Parliament House, Old Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial, with the opportunity to explore other cultural and historical institutions in the ACT. This program provides a valuable opportunity for Australian children, regardless of their birthplace, to understand more about their country and what makes being an Australian so unique. As a collective brand, the national cultural institutions located in Canberra have the capacity to leave a lasting impression in the minds of all those who visit. Prior to the 1980s Australia’s national arts scene was concentrated in Melbourne and Sydney. However, since establishment of the National Gallery of Australia in 1982, the National Museum of Australia in 1991 and the National Portrait Gallery in 1998, Canberra has emerged as one Australia’s key centres of culture. On historically important days where pride and patriotism is elevated – such as Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and Australia Day – the spotlight naturally falls on Canberra and its national institutions to understand and commemorate decisions that have defined our nation. In addition to the intrinsic benefits of the arts – such as provoking thought and discussion, providing pleasure and recreation, and framing individual and community identity – the arts and cultural sector also contributes to the Australian and ACT economy in a range of direct and indirect ways: • attendance at cultural venues and events, and participation in selected cultural activities are among the key indicators used by the ABS uses to measure wellbeing and societal progress; • the significant role of art in the economic competitiveness of a city through its ability to create an interesting and vibrant lifestyle, which in turn is an important factor in attracting and retaining talented interstate and overseas migrants; and • widely sought after Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills are increasingly becoming STEAM skills, inclusive of the Arts. The economy more broadly is increasingly seeking employees with Arts skills; with creativity and critical thinking an important balance to more rigid mathematical skillsets. Importance for Tourism Canberra’s national institutions are a key element in attracting both international visitors to Australia and domestic and international travellers to the ACT. They are vital to realising the capital’s potential as a showcase of Australian history, identity, culture, and innovation. As such, they are an important contributor to the ACT economy, helping to raise and redefine Canberra’s reputation across Australia and overseas as the centre of Australian political, social and cultural influence. Many of Australia’s established international tourism markets have matured, meaning that a large proportion of possible tourists have already done one trip to Australia. They have been to the harbour bridge, explored an exotic location and cuddled a koala. To continue to attract inbound tourism from these established markets Australia needs to diversify its offering, and the national institutions play a key role in this process. May 2018 2 The number of visitors to the national institutions is increasing, with many institutions recording over a million visitors a year. In 2016, the Australian War Memorial recorded more than 1.232 million visitors 1, to the Campbell headquarters, storage facility in Mitchell and its touring exhibitions – a 7.9 per cent increase compared to the previous financial year. 2 Similarly, the National Museum of Australia experienced 1.747 million visitors to both standard and travelling exhibitions in the 2016-17 financial year. 3 The ACT Government is committed to supporting the national institutions to attract visitors and diversify the economy, with exhibitions and events forming a key part of the VisitCanberra and Events ACT tourism platforms. 4 A key target of the ACT Government’s Tourism 2020 Strategy is growing the value of overnight visitation in the ACT to $2.5 billion by 2020, a goal which aligns with the national framework of doubling overnight visitor expenditure in Australia from $70 billion to $140 billion. Similarly, national institutions are a critical part of the ACT Government’s 2025 Major Event Strategy, which outlines the ACT Government’s vision to have Canberra recognised as a world- class events destination and one whose events reflect the city’s essence and personality . Since the Major Event Fund (MEF) opened in 2011: • $7.1 million in ACT Government funding has been invested to support events being held in Canberra, with 21 completed exhibitions and events, attracting over 2.956 million attendees. Exhibitions at the National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Australia and National Museum of Australia have been major contributors to this success. • $3.5 million in ACT Government funding has been invested to support bringing major exhibitions to the NGA, generating $334.6 million