Cultural Policy 1

Mark Joseph P. Cendaña, 07-1473 Ms. Vida Gruet

PRS - Australia, TFC1 October 24, 2009

Cultural Policy: A Review on Australian Art

Australia, with its wide range of cultural diversity rooted on its history

and people, had gone a long way of many changes in their different forms of

art. In the present, art in Australia varies, just as like any other country, from

literature, fine arts, theater and music. These art forms develop through time

as technology advances at the same time -- this is where media, film and

digital art comes in. It is important to point out that art is an important

aspect of any country’s culture, and is also considered as their valued

tradition and national asset. Though for a long time, Federal government had

been funding Australian artist, but the problem of Australia is not with their

arts itself, or the lack of support they have with this artist sector, but the

absence of identifying their cultural identity as a nation - an identity that,

which is deeply rooted in the tradition and values. As such case, a lack of

policy that creates a realm of a supportive environment of the government

to the art sector is still on a debate. Hopefully, there will be an action of

making a cultural policy that would be beneficial, as to Throsby (2006), the

author of Does Australia Need a Cultural Policy, to preservation Australian

heritage, enabling the people a cultural experience, creating a unique

Australian indentify that speaks about their diversity as a nation, and for

them to develop “lively and sustainable” cultural industries including the

emerging new expression of art through technology.

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In 2001, UNESCO made a Declaration on Cultural Diversity. This aims

to encompass human rights, creativity and international solidarity within

different nations. An important discussion in this declaration is highlighting

cultural diversity through human creativity in the arts (Throsby, 2006). Yet in

the present, Australia is in dilemma of how they would distinguish their

cultural identity while they continue advance towards a stronger economy

amidst the strong trend of Globalization and international economic battle.

In a multicultural country, wherein its arts and customs vary from race

to another, it is very essential that cultural policy is implemented to build a

cohesive society and national identity. Australia for instance is one of the

countries composed of different races aside from its number of different

indigenous groups much known as the Aborigines but also of other

nationalities from different parts of the world such as the Asians and

Europeans.

Australia, as we consider it as multicultural system, has a wide range

of arts and customs that contributes to its culture. Its culture is similar to its

national character which is said to be formed predominantly immigration and

race relations within the country. We much define Australian, with the given

that their climate which is relatively sunny, they had geared into sporting,

outdoor, beach-loving culture. Moreover, the emergence of the type of

culture of Australia was brought by the existence and what is called the

“intergenerational reproduction” of their minority ethnic identities which lead

them to their national culture that is considered to be, aside from

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multicultural, poly-ethnic, and cosmopolitan. In the multicultural system in

Australia, despite the efforts of cultural diversity within the country, there is

evident dominance of the Anglo-Celtic heritage in most institutional aspects

of society, including the media, the legal system, public education, and the

system of health care (Baldassar and Trigger, 2009).

This paper is focused on the Australian art and its contribution to the

formation of a cultural society in Australia. This paper aims to discuss the

importance of imposing a cultural policy in Australia wherein the efforts of

this policy will be viewed as regarding with its relevance on building a

national identity and establishing a strong economy in Australia. Through

discussing further the advantages and importance of cultural policy, this

paper aims to give a position on giving importance to arts and its relevance

to nation building and defining a country’s culture. This paper also aims to

show how cultural policy could be an advantage not just in the establishment

of a cultural identity but as well as to the economy of Australia and

highlighting diversity of its multicultural society. It will also study how

Australia will re-balanced its cultural investments and regulations towards

the creative human capital of the cultural sector (Eltham, 2009)

Culture

Culture, according to Throsby (2006), is a shared beliefs or values that

serve to indentify a group and bind it together. He added that to say

'Australian culture' is to refer to the fundamental characteristics that make

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Australian society distinct or unique connecting these in their formation as a

nation. He further limits the definition of culture as it is essentially equated

to arts. Moreover, UNESCO (1982) mentions that culture constitutes as a

development or growth process that would strengthen the ‘independence,

sovereignty and identity’ of nations. In such perspective we could say that

culture, in relation of arts, is a strong foundation of a country's identity. In

the Article 27 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that

involvement in cultural life in a community is everyone's free right. This

includes also one's participation to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific

advancement and its benefits. This right is assured to be preserved by the

state of a country (UNESCO, 1982).

Cultural identity

In understanding culture itself, it is important that we should also

understand the importance of having a cultural identity. UNESCO gave their

remarks on the topic of cultural identity as it is an important principle that

should be taken into consideration in drafting a cultural policy. According to

UNESCO, every culture represents a specific and unique body of values as

emanated through the people's tradition and forms of expression which are

effective means of demonstrating their presence in the world. Cultural

identity, therefore, would somehow liberate people and vitalize self-

fulfillment in them. The organization further asserted that culture also takes

form to the concept common heritage of mankind. On the other hand, the
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culture is vulnerable to changes and extinction. Culture, according to

UNESCO, is a dialogue that is formed through the exchange of ideas and

tradition wherein it could wither and die because of isolation. Cultural

identity is this perspective is said to be renewed and enriched through

contact with traditions and values (UNESCO, 1982).

Through this concept of cultural identity, it is therefore important that

in forming the national identity of a country, we take a look in to the

strengths of keeping a culture of a country alive through different ways that

the ‘dialogue’ or communication of traditions and values is maintained. The

idea of continuity and also enrichment should be regarded as a driving factor

to keep cultural heritage of a country as well. Cultural policy addresses this

problem of a withering culture that is happening in Australia specifically on

one of their ‘form of expressions’ which is art.

Cultural Policy

The Institute for Cultural Democracy quoted Girard's, the author of

Cultural Development: Experiences and Policies, definition of cultural policy,

i.e. a policy that can be viewed as a 'trade union, a party, an educational

movement, an institution, an enterprise, a town or a government.' This

policy has an objective and means that are towards achieving a result of

forming a system (2001).

As culture is defined as 'all-encompassing', cultural policy as well

incorporates a large scope on the development of cultural life. Today,

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cultural policy is in the industrialized countries sees cultural policy on

specifically addressing expressions of culture that are much used also by

most people. For instance, we have the media, arts, education, and also

sports are the covered by the implementation of cultural policy. The aims

and function of cultural policy also varies from country to country such as in

the grants to artists and institutions, public service employment programs,

providing and maintaining cultural facilities, funding historic preservation,

and regulating the airwaves such as in media (Institute for Cultural

Democracy, 2001)

Throsby (2006) defines cultural policy by looking to different

perspective of countries such as Canada, France and United Kingdom. In

Canada, he cited that their federal government has developed cultural policy

to tackle the need to protect and affirm Canadian cultural sovereignty and

also promote national unity and Canadian identity. France’ cultural policy is

more on preserving and organizing their arts, language and culture through

creating national cultural institution, academies, performing companies, and

a well supported cultural programs by their government. In this case, France’

Ministry of Cultural implemented this policy with much focus on ‘heritage

protection, contemporary artistic creation, dissemination, training programs

and regulation of the cultural industry markets’. Lastly, United Kingdom’s

aim of having cultural policy focused on the citizen’s access and participation

to the cultural arts and sporting life wherein, on the other perspective, it is

viewed as a means to enhancing quality of experience and cultivating the

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strive of achieving one’s excellence. British cultural policy therefore is

towards educating and facilitating arts and culture with its role in ‘developing

creative industries and urban revitalization’ (Throsby, 2009).

Cultural Heritage and the Art Profession

In promoting cultural policy, cultural heritage is sought to be

preserved. The cultural heritage includes people who are in the profession of

arts - this are artists, architects, musicians, writers, scientist and those

anonymous artists who continue to work for the expression of culture. It

includes language, human spirituality, rites, beliefs, literatures and many

more. The preservation of cultural heritage is a right of every people as the

expression of arts is considered to be as source of the creative inspiration of

societies. This defense reaction by the people is also a way of securing their

sovereignty and independence and thus reaffirming their cultural identity

also. With the advancement of technology, urbanization and industrialization,

cultural heritage has turned out to be threatened (UNESCO, 1982).

In cultural policy, the establishment of social and cultural conditions is

a step towards' facilitating, stimulating and securing artistic and intellectual

creation wherein political, ideological, economic or social discrimination is

not considered'. With the established idea of art education with the aspired

social and cultural conditions, public awareness and appreciation of arts and

intellectual creation will be highly encouraged (UNESCO, 1982).

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Australian Art and Economics

The Australian culture is complex and diverse. The indigenous cultures

of Australia are the oldest living cultural history in the world as dated to be

existent for about 50,000 years already. With their ability to adapt and

change over time, it is noticeable that the Aboriginal cultures have survived

for a long time. It is said that the Indigenous communities of Australia keep

their cultural heritage alive through the passing of knowledge, arts, rituals

and performances from generation to another. Furthermore, through

speaking and teaching languages, protecting cultural materials, sacred and

significant sites, and objects were some reasons why indigenous art and

culture remains intact (Australian Government, 2008). This we could relate to

the idea of keeping the culture alive through constant communication or the

cultural ‘dialogue’ of values and traditions with each other, as it is previously

discussed already.

Australian art varies also in a complex and diverse way. For instance,

indigenous art tells about the long history and experiences of the indigenous

people themselves. Through time, their art is composed of concepts of

customary trading patterns, survival and the influence of governments and

churches (Australian Government, 2008).

Today the Australian art varies in many forms. The Australian

Government highlights their wide range of arts starting from the Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander Art. They funded indigenous people to enhance

further their cultural inheritance through developing new art forms.

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Australians are also into dancing. Moreover, they have a strong list of

literature, music genres, theatrical performances, visual arts and also, with

the advancement of technology, media arts such as television programs and

filming (Australia Government, 2008). The presence of art forms in Australia

reflects to how cultural heritage is being preserved which is through the

presence of people who engage in the arts such as artists, dancer, actors,

singers, writer and even inventors. The availability of professions or careers

offered by the arts is not only a cultural manifestation, but rather it is

correlated to the economic activities of a country.

In the present, the by products of art is not merely cultural but also in

context of the economy. Art could offer job opportunities and can be

considered as goods that contribute to economic activities. In Australia,

according to the Cultural Ministers Council (2008) there is a growing number

of Australians are finding jobs in the arts and cultural sectors.

According to statistics, 22 per cent of all Australians aged 15 years and

over or approximately 3.5 million people undertook some paid or unpaid

work in cultural/leisure activities. Furthermore, 1.1 million of the 3.5 million

receives payment. An approximate of half a million Australians were

employed in cultural activities as their main job in 2006 (see Graph 1 and

Table 1).
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Graph 1 and Table 1. Taken from Cultural Ministers Council of Australia. Statistics Working

Group Secretariat, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2008.

At the same time, cultural products of arts are sources of income and

profit in Australia. Australians themselves support their products by

attending to their cultural events (see Graph 2). These includes going to

museums, watching an orchestra concert, films and theatrical plays (Cultural

Ministers Council, 2008).

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Graph 2. Taken from Cultural Ministers Council of Australia. Statistics Working Group

Secretariat, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2008.

Moreover, aside from attending to cultural events, Cultural Ministers

Council (2008) said that Australians are also into cultural spending especially

that they consider arts and cultural goods as important items in the

Australian household budget. This would include books, television payments

and newspaper. In 2003-2004, 7.7 million Australian households spent $14.7

billion on arts and culture (see Table 2 for the some statistics).

Table 2. Household spending on art and cultural goods. Taken from Cultural Ministers

Council of Australia. Statistics Working Group Secretariat, Department of the Environment,

Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2008.

In 2005 - 2006, Government has been vibrant and successful in

supporting the Australia and its culture. An amount of $5.5 billion was spent

by Australian Government, states and territories and local governments on

arts and culture. Looking on the efforts of the cultural sectors themselves,

the cultural industries had been helping the economy of Australia by

exporting of cultural goods to the rest of the world, and production of cultural
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goods and services (Cultural Ministers Council, 2008). Table 3 shows some

cultural products and their income.

Table 3. Taken from Cultural Ministers

Council of Australia. Statistics Working

Group Secretariat, Department of the

Environment, Water, Heritage and the

Arts, 2008.

With the statistics given, we could say that culture is an important factor in

the economy of any country. Art products and services became part of the

Australian cultural life. With the close relation of arts and culture with

economics, it is important that in the study of cultural policy we take

consideration the effect of each provision that will be included in the policy

so that we are able to get maximize our economic activities and profit

through the cultural products.

Cultural Policy on Australia

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In understanding the need and a review of cultural policy in Australia,

it is best that we should know the progress that has been happening to in the

implementation of cultural policy in Australia for a long time. In the process

of strengthening culture in Australia, we should take a look at this timeline

how the state of Australia perceived culture before:

pre -1900 - settler culture emphasizing nostalgia and a new

beginning;

1900 - 39 - state cultural entrepreneurship;

1940 - 54 - the era of national cultural organizations;

1955 - 67 - organizational patronage (through specialist bodies

funded by government);

1967 - 74 - policies of growth and facilitation;

1975 - 90 - access and equity and community cultural development;

1991 - 95 - diversity, excellence, cultural policy and cultural

industries; and

1996 - the review cycle and a return to neo-patronage (Craik, 2006).

Looking at the timeline, there is an effort wherein the state contributed

to the development of cultural arts in Australia. This maybe considered,

according to Craik, as the early efforts of Australian government of having a

‘true and mounting interest’ in the arts. Though arguable, the sign of interest

in arts and culture is said to be highly associated with the ‘implementation of

a cultivated people and development of a national culture’ as early as the

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time where the state made effort such as policy regarding the culture and

the arts (2006).

Throsby, on the other hand, also presented his much condensed

timeline of cultural policy in Australia wherein:

1900-1967 when explicit policy was virtually non-existent;

1968-1990 when there was a period of rapid expansion of arts and

cultural organizations and initiatives; and

1990-2000 witnessing further moderate expansion of the sector

combined with the articulation of a broad cultural policy

framework (Craik, 2006).

Looking at the new timeline, the said existing effort seems to be a

gradual effort only. Craik asserted that Australia has been perceived as a

cultural desert and that it had just embraced cultural and pursuit of nation

building recently through creative practices (2006).

In his work Australia Need a Cultural Policy, Throsby mentions that

despite the fact that the efforts of going for cultural policy in Australia is not

that visible, we could also see that that the role of The Federal State haven’t

seemed to address the need of the arts and culture to be cultivated and

supported by the State. Given the premise, Throsby suggests that, first and

foremost, the Federal state should take the role of providing assistance to

promote the arts, may it be an obligation in a civilized society or purely for

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economic reason. Second, funding should be made in order to mobilize the

people and their creative capabilities. Lastly, it is the obligation of the

Commonwealth to regulate and control the institutions of Australia

pertaining to the arts such as the national museums and libraries and

broadcasting system (Throsby, 2006).

Moreover, Throsby further specified the main concerns on cultural

policy in context of how much it is really needed by Australia. First, this

policy is actually an arts and heritage policy wherein the concerns of this

policy is delved into the re-thinking of the responsibilities and imaginative

programs that the Federal council specially the Ministry of Arts. Second,

cultural policy is an economic policy. In this case, economics should be

viewed as something that is affected by culture. If the dynamics of culture is

changing, economics too change because an activity that is related to the

culture can make a detrimental effect on the economy and its progress. This

is where media and proper allocation of funds will be taken in consideration.

Third, cultural policy is a social policy because it affects the people within a

community. In Australia, the multicultural environment it has makes it a

realization on that human rights, education and unity among its citizen.

Lastly, cultural policy is a foreign policy because cultural goods in the

present are important commodities in the international relations and trading.

It also includes the strong trade relations of Australia especially in the Asia-

pacific region (Throsby, 2006).

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During the reign of John Howard in Australia, there was a backward-

looking cultural vision regarding the arts – it was this time that economic

achievements are much taken pride by the people than with what cultural

life would offer. The lack of support and existing policies of the State in

strengthening the culture of Australia through the arts is telling us that the

provisions of cultural policy are really needed. Cultural policy should be

implemented to meet the needs of people not just economically but also

culturally and socially (Throsby, 2006). Throsby further said:

“There is a sense in the air that as a society we are

economically wealthy but culturally impoverished, or else, if

not quite impoverished, at least uncertain about what cultural

values are and in what direction they maybe be changing

(2006)”

There maybe great opportunities or promising products from the

talents of the professions who are into the arts. But the lack of funding and

the lack of provision of support through providing work and valuing the

efforts of the artist works are not met (Throsby, 2006). With this scenario,

the lack of cultural ‘dialogue’ might lead to the isolation on the exchange of

traditions and value to each citizen and thus may lead to the death of a

country’s culture. In such scenario, it would be hard to know if the country

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would still exist with a unified identity given that its culture continues to

wither because of the inability to support their culture.

As we know that culture changes through time, we should also

understand that with any radical cultural change that could happen within or

around a country such as immigration, deregulation and globalization, its

economy, social, political and cultural aspects also get affected by these

changes. Thus there is a need of securing the culture, for instance,

Australian film industry is undermined by other countries especially the

strong monopoly of Hollywood (Eltham, 2009). Cultural policy in any other

way would at least secure the arts industry of the country by giving

awareness of the progress and profit of other countries with their cultural

goods and as well as its relationship with the rest of the international market

of cultural goods.

In many ways, we could understand the main purpose of cultural policy

in any country. It is not just only to maintain a cultural life where it would

mean a preservation and cultivation of one’s heritage, i.e. its history,

flourished art and education system, and an economic standing in the

international realm. Cultural policy goes back to the realization of one’s

national identity. It is the sense of national identity that is sought by Throsby

by strengthening policy regarding the culture and the arts, not just

establishing a concrete policy that has be legislated. Throsby reaffirms the

importance of realizing national identity saying that “identity is something

that affects us all” (2006).

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In an article written by Trumper, the author emphasized the

importance of cultural events being supported by the government itself. The

writer made a wish list for 2008 to Kevin Rudd, as he had just won the

federal election as the Prime Minister of Australia, wishing him to:

“Attend cultural events and praise Australian films, plays, operas

and concerts. Give us a sign that you will abandon the disgraceful

antagonism that Howard, and his toadies in the media, displayed

towards intellectuals and artists. Culturally, we are in a parlous

state. This country is much more than beach, sun, surf and beer.

Make us feel proud of our artists and cultural industry again

(Trumper, 2008).”

Though cultural policy is not mentioned in the wish list, it is important

to note that the wish is gearing towards the appreciation, cultivation and

development of the cultural arts of Australia. The support, for at most the

moral support, that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd would give to the cultural

sector will be viewed as an important action on giving pride to the Australia

and to the realization of a national identity that at foremost could be

considered as a unique characteristic of an Australian.

Cultural policy promises a preservation of national identity in a

country. In a deeper sense, if a strong law made to guard and protect the

culture of a country, this would only mean not securing the identity of a
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country but also giving opportunity to its citizens to realize their fullest

potential and purpose in the economic activities of a country. It is a way of

promoting also cultural diversity. Especially in Australia, the multiculturalism

becomes somehow a disparity with the white and the aborigines. With

cultural policy, it would unify the difference of the two into one identity.

Human rights are also protected with this policy, thus freedom or democracy

is fully realized. This paper doesn’t only apply to Australia. With the threats

of Globalization, technological advancement, war and political unrest,

countries that do not preserve and value their culture, especially their arts,

will be more likely swallowed by other countries or cultural industries. It is

through adopting cultural policy that we are able to enrich and value at the

maximum the importance of preserving cultural heritage and national

identity. When citizens of a country are able to realize their national identity,

then the dynamics of their economic activity and ideologies will be easier

and will be united as one whole body, thus creating a progressive and

peaceful economy and nation.

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References

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Retrieved October 3, 2009, from http://www.cultureandrecreation.

gov.au/articles/indigenous/

Baldassar L. and Trigger D. (2009) Culture of Australia. Every Culture by

Advameg Inc. Retrieved October 2, 2009, from

http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Australia.html.

Craik, J. (2006). A horse with no name: arts and cultural policy in Australia.

University of Canberra. Retreived October 15, 2009, from (PDF)

http://www.scholar.google.com. p. 1-2.

Cultural Ministers Council. (2008). Arts and culture in Australian life: a

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http://newmatilda.com/2009/01/07/your-cultural-policy-has-expired.
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Democracy. Retrieved Oct 4, 2009, from

http://www.wwcd.org/policy/policy.html

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Park Press.

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11, 2009, from http://newmatilda.com/2008/01/25/dear-kevin.

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http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/files/12762/11295421661mexico_

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