Digital Culture Programs

Box of Birds’ ‘Space Play’. Credit: Andrew Beveridge.

Think Digital self-assessment tool

Think Digital is a self-assessment tool for arts and cultural organisations, that offers a digital capabilities overview and supports the development of a digital strategy. It has been designed to help Australian arts organisations assess their digital capabilities, form a digital strategy or identify key priorities, and thrive in the growing digital landscape.

To get started pick a digital champion from your organisation and sign up here. Read more about the digital tool here.

Digital Culture Programs

The Digital Culture Programs aim to digitally enable artists and cultural organisations. The programs will develop practice, share knowledge and invest in innovation.  

The programs are designed to address a diversity of industry needs and support the opportunities that ‘digital’ presents. 

We are working with a range of partners to develop and deliver programs to ensure they are informed, integrated and responsive. 

The Digital Culture Strategy sets out our vision for a digitally enabled and thriving arts and cultural industry. It provides an overarching framework to guide our approach and priorities for digital development.

Our objective is to increase digital engagement with arts and creativity, leading to greater community connection and wellbeing. To achieve this, we also aim to build capability and resilience across the arts and cultural industries.

By 2024:

  • First Nations arts and cultural experiences are amplified through digital mediums.
  • Audiences can easily discover and access Australian arts and culture online.
  • Australian creative practitioners embrace digital and emerging technologies to develop their practice.
  • Digital environments support sustainable creative careers and business models.
  • Australian creative practitioners are digitally confident and proficient.
  • Digital environments are accessible, inclusive and safe for all practitioners and audiences.

This strategy has been informed by in-depth research including focused consultation with the sector, leading practitioners and technologists.

Download the PDF or accessible RTF version of the strategy.

We use the term ‘digital’ broadly. Digital includes both online and other technologies that extend or impact on the creation, presentation and distribution of creative content. Importantly, we refer to digital as a way of doing things and a way of thinking: a digital mindset. We also use the term when referring to the technology that enables these actions.

Digital is constantly evolving. The pace of change is speeding up, as are the expectations of arts consumers, so shifting from fixed and historical mindsets to a flexible, growth mindset and culture is how new opportunities will be identified and realised.

We are advocating for digital to be embedded across all activities; thinking about it separately is no longer relevant. We think of digital as a:

  • Enabler
  • Practice
  • Mindset
  • Platform
  • Industry

This program is for artists, groups and organisations working in any art form across Australia. It is designed to support the sector in digital capability and capacity building, at a range of levels, from beginner to advanced.

Each program is focused towards a specific audience and has corresponding eligibility guidelines. Please read these guidelines before submitting an application.

This program is developed and delivered with, by and for our First Nations arts and cultural industry. The First Nations Digital Program is currently in development in partnership with the Australia Council First Nations team and advisory panel and sits alongside and within the Digital Culture Strategy.

This Strategy has been informed by in-depth research including focused consultation with leading practitioners, technologists and consultants. An internal working team was guided by a Digital Advisory Group to support the development of the strategy.

Digital Advisory Panel:

  • Liam Ridgeway
  • Allison Bennett
  • Mark Cameron
  • Professor Tom Hajdu
  • Lisy Kane
  • Harry Shang Lun Lee
  • Dr Tom Penney
  • Tea Uglow

Digital Producer:

  • Caddie Brain

Pilot Digital Strategists:

  • Little Owl

Digital Designers:

  • Melanie Huang
  • Daniel Reid

The Creative Australia is delighted to announce the current participants of the Digital Culture Programs.

The Digital Culture Programs aim to build a thriving, digitally enabled arts and cultural industry.

Click on the accordion below to find more about the previous participants and Strategists/Specialists of the Digital Specialist-in-Residence (formerly Digital Strategist-in-Residence) program.

Digital Specialists 2024 – Round Nine

Digital Specialist-in-Residence organisations 2024 – Round Nine

Digital Specialists 2024 – Round Eight

Digital Specialist-in-Residence organisations 2024 – Round Eight

Digital Specialist-in-Residence organisations 2023 pilot

Digital Strategists 2023

Digital Strategist-in-Residence 2023 participants – round six

Digital Strategist-in-Residence 2023 participants – round five

Digital Strategist-in-Residence 2022 participants – round four

Digital Strategist-in-Residence 2022 participants – round three

Digital Strategist-in-Residence 2022 participants – round two

Digital Strategist-in-Residence 2021 participants – round one

Digital Strategist-in-Residence 2021 pilot program participants

Digital Fellowship Program participants 2023

  • Ahilapalapa Rands, NZ
  • Gabrielle Widders, VIC
  • Joshua Faleatua, NZ
  • Kathryn Gledhill-Tucker, WA
  • Pelenakeke Brown, NZ
  • Raelke Grimmer, NT
  • Sandy Wakefield, NZ
  • Sophia Dumaresq, ACT
  • Tanu Gago, NZ
  • Vidya Rajan, VIC
  • April Phillips, NSW
  • Emele Ugavule, WA
  • James Albert, SA
  • Jamie Berry, NZ
  • Katrina Ioisa, NZ
  • Maxwell Wollerman-Turner, NZ
  • Michel Mulipola, NZ
  • Mi-kaisha Masella, NSW
  • Rosanna Raymond, NZ
  • Roshelle Fong, VIC
  • Sione Faletau, NZ
  • Victoria Chiu, VIC
  • Alyse Newman, VIC
  • Creative Bytes, VIC
  • David Harris, QLD
  • Fiona Hooton, ACT
  • Fiona Peel, ACT
  • Glen Walton, VIC
  • GRID Series Pty Ltd (ARIEL), VIC
  • Jessica Priebe, NSW
  • Nick Atkins, NSW
  • Robert Buratti, WA
  • Sammaneh Pourshafighi, VIC
  • Samuel Mcgilp, VIC
  • Anne Dunn, Sydney Theatre Company
  • Bobby Cerini, Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre
  • Caroline Spence, Sydney Dance Company
  • Carmel Young, Desart
  • Christine McEwan, Opera Queensland
  • Eric Holowacz, Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre (Katherine Regional Cultural Precinct)
  • Gill Perkins, Bell Shakespeare
  • Jamie Lewis, Next Wave
  • Katie Russell, Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA)
  • Kath M Mainland, Adelaide Festival Corporation
  • Max Delany, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art
  • Nick Hays, Australian Dance Theatre
  • Nikki Zerella, Arts Access Victoria
  • Penny Whitehead, Geelong Gallery
  • Vincent Ciccarello, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

Partnerships are crucial to our shared commitment to digital transformation. We cannot do this work alone, and we welcome the opportunity to develop strategic partnerships that extend the impact and reach of our work.

We are activating partnerships across government and industries to maximise the benefits that digital offers the arts and cultural industry.

Why partner with us

Partnering with us means you’re helping to build a digitally enabled creative industry and thriving workforce. The benefits of our partnership model are:

Get involved in something big. We are digitally transforming the arts and cultural industry and need innovative partners to join our effort.

Direct outcomes that will align with your existing industry and social responsibility development objectives.

A collective effort will enhance our shared impact through digital development of the arts and cultural industries.

Collaborate with artists and creatives. Co-create outcomes for interconnected industries that can have direct benefits for your own organisation/sector.

Contact us

To discuss partnership opportunities with our Digital Culture Program please contact us by phone 02 9215 9036 or email on digital@creative.gov.au.

  • artsACT
  • Arts NT
  • Arts South Australia
  • Arts Tasmania
  • Create NSW
  • Creative Victoria
  • Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, WA
  • Creative New Zealand
  • ACMI
  • INCUBATE Startup Program at The University of Sydney
  • Interactive Games and Entertainment Association
  • Little Owl
  • Kopi Su
  • Melbourne International Games Week
  • NBN Co
  • paddl
  • REMIX Summit
  • University of Technology Sydney

Contact

Phone
02 9215 9036

Email
digital@creative.gov.au

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