Update

On 16 December 2024, Council adopted the Arts and Culture Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2028. You can view the Council resolution in the meeting minutes here. Thank you to everyone who completed our survey and provided feedback. Community feedback helped shape the final Strategy and Action Plan.

Overview

We've developed a draft Woollahra Arts and Culture Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2028.

It provides a framework to define the purpose and direction of Woollahra’s cultural life and brings together the diverse arts, culture and creative activities being delivered within our LGA.

The draft Strategy defines arts and culture in their broadest sense, to encompass the visual, performing and literary arts and Council services that range from the Woollahra Libraries, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf to Council's Grants Program.

Valuable insights from the community shaped our draft Strategy

We worked with the University of Newcastle's Institute for Regional Futures to gather information from our local community, the local creative community, local service providers, businesses and Councillors and members of Council committees. Gujaga Foundation was also contracted to consult the local First Nations community.

We asked a range of questions such as how you like to participate in arts and culture activities and what you’d like to see included and this helped shape this work.

The draft Strategy lays the foundation for future plans and establishes a legacy for future generations.

Our draft Arts and Culture Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2028

We've identified five strategic pillars, which will be our focus areas; Celebrate; Participate; Activate; Lead and Advocate; and Sustain. We have goals for each pillar.

Our Pillars and Goals

Celebrate

  • Celebrate Woollahra’s First Nations Heritage and Stories
  • Celebrate Woollahra’s non-Indigenous Heritage and Stories
  • Celebrate Woollahra’s Unique ‘Place’ Through Public Art
  • Celebrate Woollahra’s Creative Framework

Participate

  • Build Community Participation in Arts and Culture from the grassroots up
  • Provide Connectivity for the Woollahra Community to Sydney-Wide Arts, Culture and Creative Experiences
  • Enhance Community Awareness of Woollahra’s Arts and Culture offer through strategic use of Council’s media and promotions

Activate

  • Activate Open Space through Arts, Culture and Creativity
  • Activate Council and Community Venues through Arts, Culture and Creativity

Lead and Advocate

  • Lead and Manage Strategic Relationships and Partnerships

Sustain

  • Work Strategically to Secure Alternative Funding Streams to Complement Council Funding of Arts and Culture.
  • Review Internal Capability to Support Achievement of Woollahra’s Strategic Outcomes for Arts and Culture
  • Maintain Good Governance for Arts and Culture Strategy, Policy and Processes
  • Evaluate and Measure Performance

Each goal has associated actions for the next four years which will help transition Council's journey in the delivery of a thriving, inclusive community through arts and culture. You can view the actions in our draft Arts and Culture Strategy pages 13-21.

Feedback closed on 18 September at 11.59pm. We accepted feedback via:

  • Survey: complete the survey below
  • Email: records@woollahra.nsw.gov.au quoting reference - SC7554
  • Mail: Address your letter to the General Manager at Woollahra Council, PO Box 61, Double Bay NSW 1360 quoting reference - SC7554