Cultural Plan 2013-2016 final.pdf - Coffs Harbour City Council ...

As adopted by Council on 28 February 2013
facility like a gallery to have relevance to young people, it will need to acknowledge the
central role the digital technology plays in their lives. While not practical in the current
premises, any new facility will need to engage fully with digital arts and social media.
A consumer’s role is shifting from that of being a passive receiver to an active contributor. As
technology continues to enable new avenues for communication, collaboration, and
circulation of ideas, it has also given rise to new opportunities for people to create their own
content. For young people in particular the opportunity to create and show their work,
particularly to their peers, can be very attractive.
If a new facility were built, the gallery would ideally be co-located with the proposed
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Centre (discussed below) or a redeveloped City Library
(discussed below) as the synergies in the requirements with either cultural facility are
considerable. In particular, facilities for children’s and schools programs could be shared as
well as reception, toilet and other facilities, maintenance and security. Depending on the
budget and design, an outdoor but undercover performance area could be included, as
suggested by a number of community members.
There are a number of issues for consideration with co-location of any cultural facilities.
Relevant questions include:
Are the functions of the facilities compatible in terms of community uses and
benefits?
Are there programming benefits likely from co-location eg school holiday activities?
Would some spaces or services be provided more cost effectively to the community
by being available for the use of more than one facility eg a digital arts area?
Are there significant economies in operational costs likely in terms of shared
marketing, maintenance, security, reception and the like?
Is co-location more attractive to those bodies or individuals likely to supply resources
to the project, in particular construction costs, ongoing operational funding or land?
Would the proposed co-location have any wider economic benefits for the
community?
Is it compatible with the Coffs Harbour CBD Master Plan?
In the meantime, at least one contemporary regional Aboriginal artist should be included in
each annual program at the Regional Gallery.
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