PART SYMPOSIUM - PART THINK TANK - PART WORKSHOP

A SERIES OF FACILITATED STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS THAT WILL INFORM THE NEXT 80 YEARS

On 6-8 September, 80 purposefully selected participants from across Australia gathered at the National Gallery Australia on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country (in Canberra) for Artlands 2023, marking 80 years of Regional Arts Australia.

Over three days, across five acts, they explored the transformative potential of regional creativity and tackled the challenges and opportunities presented by the provocation: The Future of Regional Australia is Fundamentally Creative.

1. How might we empower regional creatives to have a transformative impact on every industry, driving meaningful change in regional economies over the next 20 years?
2. How might we harness the power of creativity to fuel vibrant, healthy, resilient, and sustainable regional communities, fostering a thriving ecosystem of cultural and economic well-being by 2043?
3. How might we cultivate a shared sense of creativity and foster deep connections to the creative vibrancy of local communities, enabling all regions to perceive themselves as creative and interconnected by 2043?

Ahead of the gathering, we invited idea submissions in April and hosted a series of online Roundtables in June.

ONLINE ROUNDTABLES

ARTLANDS Online Roundtables were held over Monday 5 June to Wednesday 7 June 2023. The three Roundtables were facilitated by Kath Melbourne who led delegates through the 'Big Picture of Change' Tool, uncovering personal relationships to change, related systems and navigating between each.

Delegates participated in four breakout rooms, discussing ideas on the following topics:

1. What can you do now to ensure future abundance for the creative industries?
   
   
2. What lessons have been learnt in the arts in regional Australia over the past 80 years?
   
   
3. “I can now practise a way of reasoning that does not take sides but instead allows two opposites to dance together until the face of a third presence begins to show" Akkan Lushwana Deer and Thunder- Indigenous Ways of Restoring the World Using this provocation can you think of two traditionally opposite systems, methods or approaches that hold the potential to dance together? What might the dance look like?
   
   
4. How might new economic models in the arts enable us to tackle the challenges of climate change?

The responses to these discussions feed directly into the ARTLANDS 2023 gathering in Canberra, and will be compiled in the ARTLANDS 2023 publication.

PUBLICATION

We have established five key priorities emerging from the Artlands 2023 process. Behind each priority sits a library of documentation gathering over the Artlands 2023 co-design process, supporting the recommended strategies.

The priorities emerging from Artlands 2023 have informed our 2024 programming and advocacy, and will continue to develop throughout our activities in these areas.

ARTLANDS 2023 FACILITATORS

KNOWLEDGE CIRCLE

The Knowledge Circle was in residence at ARTLANDS 2023.

Click here to read more about this group and their role in providing feedback and advice to the Regional Arts Australia Board. 

ARTLANDS 2023 PARTICIPANTS

Representing a diverse range of voices, artforms, industries, interests and experiences, the participants came together from across Australia to meet on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, Canberra for the ARTLANDS 2023 Gathering.

These participants were selected through a competitive and extensive Expression of Interest process with Independent Assessor Panel, and built on the conversations and questions generated in idea submissions and the ARTLANDS 2023 Online Roundtable Series.

Venue partner: