Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS) welcomes the launch of Revive, the Federal Government’s progressive new cultural policy, announced earlier this week in Melbourne by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for the Arts Tony Burke.
While celebrating the policy’s ambition, which centres arts and culture as critical priorities for the government, DARTS seeks more clarity on how the policy’s action items will reflect its vision for greater representation and participation for the culturally and racially diverse creatives that the organisation represents.
“Revive is an important step towards rebuilding our arts and creative sector, devastated over the past decade,” said Debbie Lee, Diversity Arts Chair. “It heralds significant changes we at Diversity Arts Australia haven’t seen in our lifetime. We look forward to playing an active role in the policy’s five-year rollout.”
DARTS fully supports leading the Strategy with a First Nations-first approach and the key guiding principles across the five pillars, including safe and inclusive work cultures and representation among organisations and leadership. In particular, we expect the second pillar, A Place For Every Story, to address barriers and the lack of support for migrants, refugees and people of colour within our industry.
“Despite comprising around 40% of the population, research tells us people from culturally diverse backgrounds are underrepresented across all areas in the creative sector, from leadership to storytelling,” said Lena Nahlous, Diversity Arts CEO. “In undertaking this great rebuild of the nation’s cultural life, we have an opportunity to support greater cultural safety, employment and leadership opportunities for people from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds.”
Within the policy, DARTS welcomes establishing the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces. We commend the acknowledgement of workplace sexual harassment and bullying, which presents important opportunities to address the need for structural change.
“The Centre presents an opportunity to embed standards and quotas across all dimensions of diversity, including addressing issues of racism and cultural safety,” said Ms Nahlous. “We will seek to support this work actively.”
More information: DiversityArts.org.au / info@diversityarts.org.au