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Advocacy
Making the case for regional and remote creativity
Regional Australia is undergoing significant transformation - and with it, the role and value of the regional arts and broader creative industries are evolving. Today, Australia's creative sector is uniquely positioned to bolster national resilience in the face of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, while driving innovation, collaboration, and sustainable economic growth.
Creative industries generate economic and social value that extends beyond traditional market settings. Integrating creativity into broader economic strategies provides a cost-effective mechanism to stimulate industry activity, expand participation, and deliver scalable benefits to communities across Australia.
New ABS Estimated Regional Population (ERP) data released in April 2026 shows Australia’s regional and remote population grew by 1.1 per cent in 2025, reaching 10.02 million, up from 9.91 million in 2024, and up 6.3 per cent since 2020.
CONSULTATION OPEN
National Cultural Policy: a place for every story
What should the future of the arts look like in Australia?
Share your views and help shape the next National Cultural Policy.
Regional Arts Australia and the Australian Government share a common ambition - that every Australian, regardless of where they live, can participate in and contribute to this country's cultural life.
For over 80 years, Regional Arts Australia has been the organisation that makes that ambition real in regional, rural and remote Australia. We reach communities where there are no professional arts organisations - supporting community groups working with professional artists on place-based creative projects that reflect and strengthen local identity.
We believe the next chapter of that work is the most important yet. We want to ensure the Minister has everything needed to make regional and remote communities a central part of delivering the next national cultural policy.
The next national cultural policy will build on the five pillars of Revive. We want to make sure regional and remote communities are central to its design.
