"Connecting through Creativity - Toowoomba Region Cultural Strategy 2023 - 2028", a strategy to strengthen arts, culture and heritage throughout the Region has been endorsed by Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC).
TRC Environment and Community Committee Portfolio Lead Cr Tim McMahon said the document would help inform future policy and planning, programming and funding priorities.
"I'm delighted to see this strategy now in place," Cr McMahon said.
"We understand how much arts, culture and creativity enriches the lives of our community. Knowing how important it is, we've developed a five-year strategy which sets the direction for how we can celebrate and enhance what is already in place and identify new opportunities to explore.
"This will be a guiding document for Council that gives clarity to our community on what we're trying to achieve.
"It's a commitment of how we intend to recognise and value the role of arts, culture and heritage and how we intend to develop and strengthen partnerships and collaboration with key stakeholders in the Region.
"To make sure we got this right, an evidence driven approach has been taken, informed by national, state and local policies, best practice and incorporating stakeholder feedback. Extensive engagement was undertaken with all key stakeholders. We had an external consultant engage with Council staff and Councillors as well as seeking feedback, using a range of approaches, from community partners, community members and interested groups."
'Connecting through Creativity - Toowoomba Region Cultural Strategy 2023 - 2028' will help provide the optimum circumstances for cultural participation, engagement, and creativity to flourish, and to drive the delivery of cultural services that will contribute to an enviable cultural vitality in the Toowoomba Region.
It provides a coordinated and confident vision for the future that will inform policy and planning, programming, and funding priorities.
It will also provide a framework and identify Council's role in delivering and maximising cultural outcomes for the Region.
