Download - Acknowledgement to Country The BISIness
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Acknowledgement to Country
Kiama Municipal Council and its Cultural Board acknowledge the traditional
owners of this land, home of the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal Nation, and
pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.
As we move into the future we acknowledge the bearers of our collective cultural
past and honour their presence in our current and future endeavours.
Welcome to Country by Uncle Stephen Russell, Sorry Day 2013
Credit: Peter Izzard Photography
The
BISIness of creative arts in
Kiama
2017 - 2020
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Acknowledgement to Country
Kiama Municipal Council and its Cultural Board acknowledge the traditional
owners of this land, home of the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal Nation , and
pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.
As we move into the future we acknowledge the bearers of our collective cultural
past and honour their presence in our current and future endeavours.
Welcome to Country by Uncle Stephen Russell, Sorry Day 2013
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Welcome to BISI
Build Invest Sustain Integrate
These four powerful words carry Kiama Council’s cultural planning document into
the future.
They represent our goals and our vision for the way forward.
Kiama Council and its Cultural Board believe this document will support and
encourage the creative role of all artists in the community.
literature • music • theatre, musical theatre and opera • dance •poetry
•performance poetry• performing arts such as circus, comedy and puppetry • arts
festivals • visual arts and crafts • arts education and training • Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander arts • community arts and cultural development • emerging
and experimental arts.
We believe in investing in the cultural arts as investment gives returns for our
community; economically, socially and by improving health and wellbeing.
The Australian creative industries contribute economically to their communities
and this means that the cultural arts are a valuable and indispensable part of any
community.
“Australia’s copyright industries have arts and cultural activity at their core. They
generate over $93 billion in economic activity (6.6% of GDP) and employ 8 percent
of the nation’s workforce.” Arts Nation 2015 The Australia Council for The Arts
We believe community members and cultural groups are partners in the strategies
set out in this document.
We hope BISI will encourage all those working in or supportive of the cultural arts
to help build a creative community with strength and diversity, which in turn, is an
investment in the health and wellbeing of all.
Kiama Council looks forward to the next four years of its commitment to the
cultural arts and acknowledges the ongoing commitment and support provided by
the volunteers of the Kiama Cultural Board in assisting us to achieve our goals.
Mayor Cr Brian Petschler
Kiama Council
Deputy Chairperson Chrissie Paice
Poet – Writer - Kiama Cultural Board
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Why BISI?
BISI is a living breathing document. It contains thoughts, hopes and directions for
the future of the cultural arts in Kiama.
It is a document with a range of purposes:
For Council
A statement on the direction and work in regards to the cultural arts over the next
four years.
For the Kiama Cultural Board and Council Cultural Arts Staff
A working document informing cultural arts based work direction for the next four
years.
For Artists
A document to, support funding applications and provide information about
Council’s role in the cultural arts.
For Community
A document to provide information about Council’s role in the cultural arts and to
support community interest and involvement in the Kiama cultural arts community.
As a document of Council, but also of our arts community, BISI strives to combine
the bureaucratic requirements of Local Government with the dynamic, creative
presence of the arts.
Kiama Council’s commitment to the cultural arts is inherent in its Integrated
Planning and as a document designed to provide direction for further work in the
cultural arts, BISI sits comfortably under this planning framework.
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Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework
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BISI Kiama
The data following is taken from Remplan and based on data sourced from the Australia Bureau of
Statistics (ABS). The software also incorporates a region-specific economic impact modelling first
developed at La Trobe University, with continued development by Compelling Economics Pty Ltd.
Kiama is located approximately 2 hours drive (120kms) south from the centre of
Sydney and lies between the Shellharbour and Shoalhaven local government
areas, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia.
The Municipality spans approximately 256 square kilometres in area,
encompassing an area of great natural beauty between the escarpment and the
coast.
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Council’s Cultural Arts
Commitment
Kiama Council has a long-standing commitment to cultural arts activity within the
municipality and currently:
supports the Old Fire Station Community Art Gallery as an exhibition space for
local artists,
provides premises to the Kiama Art Society,
supports a variety of local cultural projects through its Cultural Grants program
has an innovative new Library which provides a wide range of cultural
activities. Kiama Library is now also a Digital Hub with NBN access to the rest
of Australia and the world.
employs a part time Cultural Development Officer and Special Events Officer
undertakes a range of Council funded cultural programs and activities
provides funding for biannual Cultural Grant funding rounds
provides funding for annual community cultural events
Kiama Council also maintains consistent engagement with the local arts
community through its Kiama Cultural Board.
This board includes Councillors and community representatives from a diverse
range of arts practice.
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BISI Values
BISI is underpinned by a set of values which are, that:
1. The cultural arts, as well as entertain, also challenge, disrupt, inform, resonate,
question, explore and encourage participation and connection.
2. The cultural arts are a development and empowerment tool, in building social
capital and economic and environmental sustainability.
3. Council decisions concerning cultural arts will be made in a responsive,
positive and proactive manner, taking up existing opportunities and resources
and building on them to grow our cultural arts industry.
4. Arts programs, events, projects and initiatives reflect our diversity, vision and
dedication to the arts.
5. Sustainability will underpin all considerations of the cultural arts; programs,
events, projects and initiatives from the planning stage through to completion.
These areas will include:
ongoing financial viability,
minimisation of negative environmental health impacts
opportunities to make positive environmental health gains, and
staffing and/or volunteer resources.
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Doing arts BISIness
Themes Build Invest Sustain Integrate
BISI sets out strategies under its four themes to:
BUILD infrastructure and community
INVEST in supporting artists and enterprises
SUSTAIN arts practitioners, connections and creative spaces
INTEGRATE a creative community with all facets of community life including
tourism, health and business
These strategies provide a framework for Council, over the next four years, with regard to
the cultural arts.
They also provide guidelines for individuals and organisations within the community.
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Build creative community infrastructure
1. Plan to build a multi-function arts centre in Kiama within the Hindmarsh Park
precinct
2. Acquire funding to build a multi-function arts centre in Kiama within the
Hindmarsh Park precinct
3. Build a self-supporting arts industry through strategies of the Kiama Cultural
Arts Network (KCAN).
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Invest in supporting artists & enterprises
1. Support professional creative people and their enterprises through a range of
activities and programs.
2. Increase the pool of staff (paid and voluntary) to grow the arts in Kiama
3. Direct financial support for cultural arts practice through Council’s cultural
grants and promotion of other funding sources
4. Collaborate with Kiama tourism to promote and market cultural tourism
opportunities, activities and events.
5. Develop strategies opportunities for successful outcomes from external
funding sources.
6. Invest in a range of engaging public art for community spaces
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Sustain arts practitioners, connections
and creative spaces
1. Continue to seek opportunities for cultural respect and acknowledgement for
the traditional owners of this land, past, present and future.
2. Support and sustain independent artists, arts organisations and art event’s
organisers with information, resources, innovation and connection.
3. Sustain ongoing connections and relationships between artists through online
platforms and social media, conferences and seminars, social gatherings for
artists and arts organisations
4. Support and resource sustainable community creative spaces
5. Honour our exceptional Kiama artists both past and present through the Arts
Honour Roll.
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Integrate a creative community with all
facets of community life including tourism,
health, and business
1. Encourage arts events that drive community participation and engagement
2. Encourage community events that employ the arts as a driver for
participation and engagement
3. Develop and support strategies that integrate cultural arts with business,
sports and tourism
4. Support connections for professional and emerging artists to engage with
their communities.
5. Encourage communication between the culture arts, council and community
via the Cultural Board
6. Integrate the cultural arts into strategies to increase social capital, health and
well-being
7. Promote assets that preserve and promote heritage and history in the
community