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

As adopted by Council on 28 February 2013
Bellingen Music Festival (for classical music) – great for serious music-makers and music-lovers in a
beautiful little town.
Jazz performances in the Botanical Gardens. It has easy parking, not massive crowds, a lovely
ambience, and a beautiful setting.
The fun of the Coast Out Festival, which brings more understanding to the community; and
The Saltwater Freshwater Festival’s mix of indigenous cultures, which was great for getting people
together.
Festivals can provide entry-level roles for new local performers and artists.
Question 8:
know about?
What are the things in Coffs Harbour which you would most want visitors to
Local walking trails and guided tours. One respondent takes all their visitors to Woolgoolga headland to
look for whales; also the Park Beach Surf Club to enjoy the view and excellent food.
One respondent is always struck by how ‘scruffy’ Coffs Harbour looks as one approaches it from the
highway; there is very little indication driving through, that Coffs has such beautiful beaches and
hinterland.
Another bemoans the lack of any ‘icons’ other than commercial tourist attractions.
A final respondent would like to hear the Coffs Regional Brass Band, and to see more parades, ‘like in
the old days’.
Question 9: How do literature and language enrich the quality of cultural life in Coffs Harbour? What
importance do you place on writing, both fiction and non fiction, from poetry and scriptwriting to family
histories and blogging?
The recent Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival was a great success and shows the local interest.
Poetry is important to appreciate the world and its subtleties, wonders and complexities.
Reading/listening extends our comprehension and exposes the audience to social criticism and can be a
force for change and pleasurable.
Literature and language form the basis of oral and written communication and its use in expressing both
Aboriginal and white European history is essential to keeping the area’s cultural identity alive.
History is one of the most under-utilised resources in this area, one of the richest, most diverse in the
state. It should be central in cultural tourism here.
Heritage week needs more support locally.
The history of the area can used to promote personal and regional identity and pride, as well as enabling
a more intricate knowledge and deeper understanding of the place we live in and administrate.
Question 10: Coffs Harbour has significant Aboriginal heritage. What activities and resources would
you like to see which would help you and your visitors learn about and understand this heritage?
Overseas tourists are keen to know and experience our rich Aboriginal culture here in Coffs and in
Australia.
We need more signage and Aboriginal Art around town in strategic locations to explain Aboriginal
heritage and the ties between our past and present.
Develop the Coffs Creek walk with indigenous art works, sculptures, totems, stories and history.
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