Council adopts strategy in support of cultural vitality

Mayor of Brimbank, Cr Lucinda Congreve said Council was pleased to have a strategy in place that outlines its commitment to cultural vitality in the City of Brimbank.

“We’re a vibrant and thriving multicultural community with over 46 percent of our residents born overseas and more than half speaking a language other than English.

“Council values this rich tapestry of people and their unique cultures and inherent creativity, and recognises that these qualities make our community so wonderfully diverse.

“Not only do cultural and creative activities help us come together to celebrate, reflect, innovate and challenge us, they also build our social cohesion, local economy and pride of place,” Cr Congreve said.

A number of priority areas were identified during the development of the cultural strategy, which will now guide Council’s work, including: participation and collaboration; leadership and partnerships; connections; creative industries; and spaces and places.

The strategy also identified five precincts where arts and cultural activities can co-locate at facilities such as libraries and community centres including:

·       Deer Park, based around the Hunt Club Community and Arts Centre

·       Sunshine, including the art spaces, public art and library

·      St Albans, based around St Albans Community Centre (STACC) and the Bowery Theatre

·      Keilor, based around the Keilor Hub (contains arts spaces, community facilities and library)

·       Sydenham, based around the library and neighbourhood house.

The Cultural Strategy was adopted following a four-week period of community consultation and workshops, surveys, interviews, benchmarking and industry research.  No formal submissions were received, but overall more than 330 people had input into the strategy.

A copy of the Cultural Strategy 2018-2022 is available at brimbank.vic.gov.au.