2018-05-08 S&O Committee - Attachment 1 to Item 3 - Draft Noosa Cultural Plan

The Importance of Arts,
Culture and Heritage
Vibrant and healthy communities require a                As a region with a thriving professional and
co-operative blend of human, economic and                community oriented cultural sector, Noosa will
environmental attributes. Integral to this are           benefit from a range of positive and desirable
cultural and creative elements which add character,      characteristics:
substance and meaning to a community, often
                                                         •   A strong sense of identity and civic pride
defining what makes it unique.
                                                         •   A strong commitment to shared values
For Noosa, a flourishing cultural sector has
individual and collective benefits in social,            •   Improved individual and community wellbeing
economic and environmental terms. Arts, culture
                                                         •   The freedom to express ideas and feelings and
and heritage increases the positive liveability or
                                                             respectfully explore diverse viewpoints
quality of life within the region, both tangibly
through architecture, civic design, venues, galleries,   •   A greater willingness and ability to look after
libraries, museums, art, performances, exhibitions,          each other and our environment
and intangibly through a myriad of qualitative
                                                         •   Increased participation in community activities
facets including shared sense of place, community
and values.                                              •   A strong commitment to maintaining our
                                                             unique and distinctive communities
At its heart, the cultural sector helps distinguish
                                                         •   The genuine inclusion of people from varying
what is intrinsically “Noosa”.
                                                             backgrounds, beliefs and abilities
“The arts have the power to inspire, entertain and       •   The ability to solve problems creatively,
unite. They connect people with ideas, emotions              perceive of a vision, innovate and adapt to
and stories; and spark imagination, creativity               change
and joy. The arts are intrinsically important and
                                                         •   A strong sense of who we are and where we
contribute to individual and collective wellbeing
                                                             have come from
– they play an essential role in the daily lives of
Australians.” (Connecting Australians: Results of the
2016 National Arts Participation Survey)




Arts, culture and heritage enrich lives through participation,
experience, observance or appreciation. Their value is difficult to
define but intrinsically felt and understood; they give a sense of
heart and soul to our people and communities


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