This evening I attended a Council candidates forum organised by the City of Port Phillip Arts Collective (COPPAC), consisting of  Arts Access Victoria, Australian National Academy of Music, Australian Tapestry Workshop,  Gasworks, Linden Arts Gallery, MEMO Musical Hall, The National Theatre, Palais Theatre, Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre, Temperance Hall, and Theatreworks. 

Part of the reason I moved to Port Phillip in 2013 was due to its emphasis on the arts and culture. Running a marketing consultancy, it made sense to locate the business in the midst of what was then Melbourne’s epicentre of the arts.

Unfortunately, Port Phillip has rested on its laurels rather than proactively invest in the arts. The City of Melbourne and Councils across the inner North and West are expanding their interest in arts and culture, to foster community and inclusion.

I was asked what is your 10 year vision for the Arts in the City of Port Phillip?

Council’s current budget projections forecast Council’s declining interest in the arts. This must be reversed, so Port Phillip can regain its leadership role in arts and culture.

The way to do this is through the Council Plan ensuring that there is a tangible interest in the arts, particularly in shaping the future of Fishermans Bend. We run the risk of Fishermans Bend becoming a soulless suburb unless there is an investment in arts and community.

We also need to recognise that the arts have many entry points, there may be casual creators pursuing a hobby, amateurs who build social connections, emerging artists seeking to build a career, and professionals who continue to create.

Fortunately Port Phillip’s Arts and Culture Strategy: A Creative and Prosperous City Strategy is due for renewal in the next term of Council. If elected, this enables me to ensure we can restore Port Phillip’s leadership role in arts and culture.

I have a strong history in supporting the arts, including for ArtSpace at Realm in the Ringwood Town Centre and supporting the Karralyka Centre as a premier arts facility in Melbourne’s east.