Victoria’s creative future is in your hands

Melbourne Fringe 2018 Queen of the Night - photo by Duncan JacobVictoria’s position as the creative and cultural capital of Australia will be further strengthened as the Victorian Government kicks off the development of the next creative industries strategy.

Victorians are invited to contribute insights and ideas to a statewide consultation that will inform that strategy, grow our $31 billion creative economy, create new jobs in design, fashion, digital games, film and television, music and cultural tourism, and offer more creative opportunities for all Victorians.

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley has launched the public consultation which will run for eight weeks and include a series of public forums across Victoria and an online platform. “When we launched our first creative industries strategy, we declared Victoria as the creative state. It was an aspiration and a promise – over the last four years, we’ve proved this,” he said.

“Our new strategy will build on the growth to date and respond to the challenges and opportunities facing the creative sector. The strategy will be developed hand in hand with industry and community. We encourage you to think big, share your insights and contribute your best ideas to help shape the next stage for Victoria’s creative future,” said Minister Foley.

In 2016, the Labor Government launched Victoria’s first creative industries strategy Creative State 2016-2020, which included 40 targeted actions and was backed with a $115 million investment.

Creative State supported a range of new programs and innovative approaches ? from accelerator programs for creative businesses to support for co-working hubs and creative spaces. Now in its final year, all actions of the strategy have been delivered or are under way.

Since the strategy was launched the economic impact of the creative industries has grown by 23 per cent, to $31 billion. Some 260,000 Victorians are now employed in the creative industries, up 15 per cent, and cultural tourism is worth $2 billion, up 88 per cent.

The 2020-24 strategy will build on successes to date and respond to the challenges and opportunities of the future. In line with Creative Victoria’s First Peoples Action Plan for the Creative Industries, First Peoples perspectives and expertise will be integral to the design and implementation of the strategy.

Public forums will be held in Bendigo, Mildura, Melbourne, Frankston, Footscray, Sale, South Morang, Wangaratta and Warrnambool. Resources are available for organisations and groups that wish to host their own consultation sessions.

Online submissions are open via the Government’s Engage website until 30 August 2019. For more information, register for a public forum or provide your ideas and insights, visit: www.engage.vic.gov.au for details.

Image: Melbourne Fringe, Queen of the Night – photo by Duncan Jacob