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This may be the author’s version of a work that was submitted/accepted for publication in the following source: McIntyre, Phillip, Kerrigan, Susan, & McCutcheon, Marion (2021) Australian Cultural and Creative Activity: A Population and Hotspot Anal- ysis: Coffs Harbour. QUT Digital Media Research Centre, Australia. This file was downloaded from: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/208028/ c Copyright 2021 Contact the authors This work is covered by copyright. Unless the document is being made available under a Creative Commons Licence, you must assume that re-use is limited to personal use and that permission from the copyright owner must be obtained for all other uses. If the docu- ment is available under a Creative Commons License (or other specified license) then refer to the Licence for details of permitted re-use. It is a condition of access that users recog- nise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. If you believe that this work infringes copyright please provide details by email to [email protected] License: Free-to-read at publisher Notice: Please note that this document may not be the Version of Record (i.e. published version) of the work. Author manuscript versions (as Sub- mitted for peer review or as Accepted for publication after peer review) can be identified by an absence of publisher branding and/or typeset appear- ance. If there is any doubt, please refer to the published source. Australian Cultural and Creative Activity: A Population and Hotspot Analysis Coffs Harbour NSW Australian Cultural and Creative Activity: A Population and Hotspot Analysis Coffs Harbour and Bellingen This report is an output of an Australian Research Council Linkage project (LP160101724) led by Queensland University of Technology in partnership with the University of Newcastle, Arts Queensland, Create NSW, Creative Victoria, Arts South Australia and the WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Suggested citation: Phillip McIntyre, Susan Kerrigan and Marion McCutcheon. 2021. Australian Cultural and Creative Activity: A Population and Hotspot Analysis: Geelong and Surf Coast, Brisbane. Digital Media Research Centre. Available https://research.qut.edu.au/creativehotspots/. Strategic summary The Creative Industries in Coffs Harbour and Bellingen saw growth of 2% for 2011-2016, with 915 people earning their primary income from CI employment. • Coffs Harbour’s creative employment growth rate was 1.9% between 2011 and 2016, with 795 people earning a primary income within the Creative Industries. • Bellingen’s creative employment growth rate was 2.8% between 2011 and 2016, with 156 employees earning a primary incomes within the Creative Industries. • Creative Services is a key growth area for Coffs, particularly Architecture and Design, and Software and Digital Content. • Embedded creatives employed in Coffs, that are those working in the Advertising and Marketing sub-sector embedded in other industries, have been in a growth phase. Coffs Harbour needs to attract and retain youth and provide employment opportunities. • 2,000 young people left Coffs Harbour and only 1,000 moved in between 2011-2016. • Issues include limited opportunity for young people to learn software and app development contributing to the movement of young people to larger urban areas. • Immediate attention must be given to strategies that will retain youth and provide pathways for future employment, especially in the Creative Industries. Coffs Harbour City Council is leading cultural change with Mayor Denise Knight advocating for cultural change across a range of areas. • Council is planning to upgrade cultural and community facilities and infrastructure and providing strategic direction for the creative community. • Council provides generous small grants for arts and culture. • Council is responding to community criticisms about the new central arts hub, clear communication and marketing for events and activities. The Gumbaynggirr community has a strong and active culture that is supported by all levels of government but strategic support for the traditional arts-based offering is needed to future proof. • Saltwater Freshwater Arts hosts an Australia Day event in Coffs, Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Taree to showcase First Nations artistic talent on the Mid-North Coast. 1 Creative and performing arts sector growth requires strategic unity and relationships with local and state government, tourism and local business. • The Festival Shire inspires young performers ‘to stick around’ and formal education pathways, such as TAFE are essential for the future regional growth. • Coffs needs more venues and infrastructure for performing arts events, touring shows and community concerts, like dance eisteddfods. Creative Services have been advantaged in Coffs by the early rollout of the NBN and fibre to the premise, whereas in Bellingen the sector has been severely impacted by inadequate NBN. • The digital economy has benefited from Coffs Council and Jobs for NSW developing the innovation and entrepreneurial program 6 Degrees, which has now been rolled out in Kempsey, Nambucca, and Bellingen. The Creative Industries drives the Bellingen economy; calling themselves ‘The Festival Shire’ they attract 210,000 visitors a year who spend a total of $58.9 million. • Many Bellingen residents operate micro or small Creative Industries businesses involving artists, craftspeople, writers, and musicians. • Bellingen’s key themes are strong Council support, networking, and the ‘Bello’ reputation. • Festivals need key people who are paid wages to cover the ‘invisible’ work needed. • High volunteering levels might be seen to limit professional career opportunities. Screen Industry activity in Coffs Harbour highlights growth in the commercially viable corporate screen production and independent exhibition sectors. • Screenwave International Film Festival, supported by Local and State agencies, runs in January and is a growing event screening 90 films and attracting 7,000 people, 30% of whom are from out of town. • Sawtell Cinema was refurbished because the community raised $2 million locally to buy the building, refurbish it and lease it out to an independent cinema chain. • Coffs’ screen-based businesses sustain themselves by targeting clients from other regional areas. Grant funding aimed at professional input for events to support community-based festivals and media organization that are volunteer run would lift the event quality. • Community radio needs to access ongoing funding to employ a co-ordinator. • General funding to improve preparation for key events and muster volunteers is critical. Regional creative industry practitioners have diverse skills which allows them to survive in CI businesses in regional NSW. • More educational pathways are needed for the Creative Industries to connect to the wider economy, like healthcare • More start-up support has been identified for the development of innovative ideas and business model maintenance Recommendations: • Create sector-wide strategies that will attract and retain youth and provide education and employment opportunities, including implementing a skill-based opportunity for young people to learn app development, integrating these with incubator and accelerator programs and expanding these educational programs and support services to target young entrepreneurs and business owners. • Activate the Coffs CBD by building the new civic cultural building. • Invest in infrastructure and promotion to engage local communities and visitors in the cultural life of the area and to create and maintain vibrant cultural and public spaces. • Install better NBN connections in the Bellingen area. • Simplify festival funding application processes for the Australia Council, Festivals Australia, and Create NSW, to provide ongoing funding for organisers who manage large numbers of volunteers and contributors. 2 Contents Strategic summary – incomplete please add .......................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. 4 Background and context ......................................................................................................................... 5 Strategic theme 1 What are the interrelationships across the sub sectors of the creative industries? .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 CREATIVE SERVICES ............................................................................................................................... 16 CULTURAL PRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 18 Strategic theme 2: The relationship of cultural and creative activity to the wider economy .............. 31 TOURISM and CULTURAL POLICY .......................................................................................................... 36 Strategic theme 3: Hotspot Comparisons ............................................................................................. 37 References ............................................................................................................................................ 38 Appendices ...........................................................................................................................................