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Acknowledgement to Country

Kiama Municipal Council and its Cultural Board acknowledge the traditional

owners of this land, home of the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal Nation, and

pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.

As we move into the future we acknowledge the bearers of our collective cultural

past and honour their presence in our current and future endeavours.

Welcome to Country by Uncle Stephen Russell, Sorry Day 2013

Credit: Peter Izzard Photography

The

BISIness of creative arts in

Kiama

2017 - 2020

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Acknowledgement to Country

Kiama Municipal Council and its Cultural Board acknowledge the traditional

owners of this land, home of the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal Nation , and

pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.

As we move into the future we acknowledge the bearers of our collective cultural

past and honour their presence in our current and future endeavours.

Welcome to Country by Uncle Stephen Russell, Sorry Day 2013

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Welcome to BISI

Build Invest Sustain Integrate

These four powerful words carry Kiama Council’s cultural planning document into

the future.

They represent our goals and our vision for the way forward.

Kiama Council and its Cultural Board believe this document will support and

encourage the creative role of all artists in the community.

literature • music • theatre, musical theatre and opera • dance •poetry

•performance poetry• performing arts such as circus, comedy and puppetry • arts

festivals • visual arts and crafts • arts education and training • Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander arts • community arts and cultural development • emerging

and experimental arts.

We believe in investing in the cultural arts as investment gives returns for our

community; economically, socially and by improving health and wellbeing.

The Australian creative industries contribute economically to their communities

and this means that the cultural arts are a valuable and indispensable part of any

community.

“Australia’s copyright industries have arts and cultural activity at their core. They

generate over $93 billion in economic activity (6.6% of GDP) and employ 8 percent

of the nation’s workforce.” Arts Nation 2015 The Australia Council for The Arts

We believe community members and cultural groups are partners in the strategies

set out in this document.

We hope BISI will encourage all those working in or supportive of the cultural arts

to help build a creative community with strength and diversity, which in turn, is an

investment in the health and wellbeing of all.

Kiama Council looks forward to the next four years of its commitment to the

cultural arts and acknowledges the ongoing commitment and support provided by

the volunteers of the Kiama Cultural Board in assisting us to achieve our goals.

Mayor Cr Brian Petschler

Kiama Council

Deputy Chairperson Chrissie Paice

Poet – Writer - Kiama Cultural Board

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Why BISI?

BISI is a living breathing document. It contains thoughts, hopes and directions for

the future of the cultural arts in Kiama.

It is a document with a range of purposes:

For Council

A statement on the direction and work in regards to the cultural arts over the next

four years.

For the Kiama Cultural Board and Council Cultural Arts Staff

A working document informing cultural arts based work direction for the next four

years.

For Artists

A document to, support funding applications and provide information about

Council’s role in the cultural arts.

For Community

A document to provide information about Council’s role in the cultural arts and to

support community interest and involvement in the Kiama cultural arts community.

As a document of Council, but also of our arts community, BISI strives to combine

the bureaucratic requirements of Local Government with the dynamic, creative

presence of the arts.

Kiama Council’s commitment to the cultural arts is inherent in its Integrated

Planning and as a document designed to provide direction for further work in the

cultural arts, BISI sits comfortably under this planning framework.

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Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework

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BISI Kiama

The data following is taken from Remplan and based on data sourced from the Australia Bureau of

Statistics (ABS). The software also incorporates a region-specific economic impact modelling first

developed at La Trobe University, with continued development by Compelling Economics Pty Ltd.

Kiama is located approximately 2 hours drive (120kms) south from the centre of

Sydney and lies between the Shellharbour and Shoalhaven local government

areas, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia.

The Municipality spans approximately 256 square kilometres in area,

encompassing an area of great natural beauty between the escarpment and the

coast.

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Council’s Cultural Arts

Commitment

Kiama Council has a long-standing commitment to cultural arts activity within the

municipality and currently:

supports the Old Fire Station Community Art Gallery as an exhibition space for

local artists,

provides premises to the Kiama Art Society,

supports a variety of local cultural projects through its Cultural Grants program

has an innovative new Library which provides a wide range of cultural

activities. Kiama Library is now also a Digital Hub with NBN access to the rest

of Australia and the world.

employs a part time Cultural Development Officer and Special Events Officer

undertakes a range of Council funded cultural programs and activities

provides funding for biannual Cultural Grant funding rounds

provides funding for annual community cultural events

Kiama Council also maintains consistent engagement with the local arts

community through its Kiama Cultural Board.

This board includes Councillors and community representatives from a diverse

range of arts practice.

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BISI Values

BISI is underpinned by a set of values which are, that:

1. The cultural arts, as well as entertain, also challenge, disrupt, inform, resonate,

question, explore and encourage participation and connection.

2. The cultural arts are a development and empowerment tool, in building social

capital and economic and environmental sustainability.

3. Council decisions concerning cultural arts will be made in a responsive,

positive and proactive manner, taking up existing opportunities and resources

and building on them to grow our cultural arts industry.

4. Arts programs, events, projects and initiatives reflect our diversity, vision and

dedication to the arts.

5. Sustainability will underpin all considerations of the cultural arts; programs,

events, projects and initiatives from the planning stage through to completion.

These areas will include:

ongoing financial viability,

minimisation of negative environmental health impacts

opportunities to make positive environmental health gains, and

staffing and/or volunteer resources.

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Doing arts BISIness

Themes Build Invest Sustain Integrate

BISI sets out strategies under its four themes to:

BUILD infrastructure and community

INVEST in supporting artists and enterprises

SUSTAIN arts practitioners, connections and creative spaces

INTEGRATE a creative community with all facets of community life including

tourism, health and business

These strategies provide a framework for Council, over the next four years, with regard to

the cultural arts.

They also provide guidelines for individuals and organisations within the community.

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Build creative community infrastructure

1. Plan to build a multi-function arts centre in Kiama within the Hindmarsh Park

precinct

2. Acquire funding to build a multi-function arts centre in Kiama within the

Hindmarsh Park precinct

3. Build a self-supporting arts industry through strategies of the Kiama Cultural

Arts Network (KCAN).

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Invest in supporting artists & enterprises

1. Support professional creative people and their enterprises through a range of

activities and programs.

2. Increase the pool of staff (paid and voluntary) to grow the arts in Kiama

3. Direct financial support for cultural arts practice through Council’s cultural

grants and promotion of other funding sources

4. Collaborate with Kiama tourism to promote and market cultural tourism

opportunities, activities and events.

5. Develop strategies opportunities for successful outcomes from external

funding sources.

6. Invest in a range of engaging public art for community spaces

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Sustain arts practitioners, connections

and creative spaces

1. Continue to seek opportunities for cultural respect and acknowledgement for

the traditional owners of this land, past, present and future.

2. Support and sustain independent artists, arts organisations and art event’s

organisers with information, resources, innovation and connection.

3. Sustain ongoing connections and relationships between artists through online

platforms and social media, conferences and seminars, social gatherings for

artists and arts organisations

4. Support and resource sustainable community creative spaces

5. Honour our exceptional Kiama artists both past and present through the Arts

Honour Roll.

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Integrate a creative community with all

facets of community life including tourism,

health, and business

1. Encourage arts events that drive community participation and engagement

2. Encourage community events that employ the arts as a driver for

participation and engagement

3. Develop and support strategies that integrate cultural arts with business,

sports and tourism

4. Support connections for professional and emerging artists to engage with

their communities.

5. Encourage communication between the culture arts, council and community

via the Cultural Board

6. Integrate the cultural arts into strategies to increase social capital, health and

well-being

7. Promote assets that preserve and promote heritage and history in the

community