The Local Government Community Services Association of Australia (LGCSAA) national conference, held at the Hilton on the Park, Melbourne from 26 to 28 October, 2005 identified four themes:-

1. Democracy & Rights
2. Community Planning
3. Cultural Vitality
4. and Health, Leisure and Wellbeing

A number of presentations explored aspects of cultural vitality. For more information go to the LGCSAA conference website.

Preceding the conference on Tuesday October 25 was a half day symposium - Just Culture: Arts and Social Change. Hosted by the Cultural Development Network and the Community and Social Planners Network the symposium was designed to stimulate discussion among participants about scope for a deeper relationship between the arts and social change. Discussion was directed towards exploring ideas to improve policy and practice, but also to identifying barriers currently preventing a deeper engagement with the arts in social transformation. Ideas from the symposium will inform the Cultural Development representations to the Australia Council about the future of its arts and community partnerships activities.

In response to growing interest in cultural vitality the Cultural Development Network hosted a national Fourth Pillar Conference on 29 & 30 November at the Melbourne Town Hall. The City of Port Phillip was featured in the program through a joint presentation on the practical implementation of four pillars at Port Phillip, presented by Sally Calder, Director of the Social and Cultural Vitality Division and former councillor, David Brand. In addition Port Phillip's Cultural Vitality Project Officer delivered a comparative presentation of cultural sustainability practices in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Also from Port Phillip, Rosemary Joy, Access Arts Development Officer, contributed to a panel on 'Models of Inclusion'.

For more details visit the fourth pillar conference website.

Papers from the conference are now available on line from the Cultural Development Network website.

What was the symposium brief?

Governments and organisations today are adjusting the way they determine the success of their communities. No longer is the economic bottom line considered the sole indicator. Social, environmental and, increasingly, cultural factors are acknowledged as having equal weight in determining policy and evaluating programs.            

The challenges and potential rewards for organisations, from global corporations to local governments, that integrate the cultural dimension as a core policy driver, are enormous. This symposium will investigate cultural vitality as an indicator of community and organisational sustainability and well-being. It will also consider avenues available to those wishing to incorporate cultural considerations within the policy frameworks of their organisations.

When & where did this event take place?

Thursday July 10 and Friday July 11, 2003
Gasworks Theatre, 15 Graham St, Albert Park, 3206

Who was the audience?

The symposium targeted anyone interested in public policy, cultural development or sustainable communities including representatives of: 

• Local government
• Other government sectors
• Students of public policy
• Private sector organisations
• Arts, culture and recreation organisations
• Community groups

Conference Papers

The papers from the Beyond Cultural Policy symposium have been published in two formats. A selection of papers has been published in the Cultural Vitality supplement to the Autumn 2004 edition of the journal Overland.

Remaining papers are available, as pdf format documents, from the Conference Papers and Resources page on this site.

Brochure

View the Cultural Vitality Symposium brochure online.