ICOM Australia warmly welcomed the first national cultural policy for a decade, Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place. We believe that it was the first crucial step for the museum and gallery sector to enable the development of a comprehensive policy and
strategic framework for sustained investment.

The announced initiatives such as the commitments to First Nations artists and culture, re- instating cultural data collection, and significant support for the performing arts, literature,and workers’ rights were commended. The vision statement by author, Christos Tsiolkas,and historian, Clare Wright, was outstanding in its aspirations.

We appreciate that much work has been done in the last two years to implement these and other initiatives. The allocation of sorely needed additional funds to the national collecting institutions in the 2023 Budget was understood as a first response to their significant
underfunding of the previous decade.

However, the policy framework itself had some troubling gaps, such as overlooking the issues of climate change and sustainability, minimising the roles of heritage and the humanities, and understating Australia’s international cultural responsibilities and potential impacts.

Click here to read the submission in full: ICOM Australia_Revive 2025 submission