Driving Innovation: Arts Practice and Innovation in a Regional Context
In 2004 an innovative performance literally took to the streets of Newcastle (NSW) in partnership with members of the local car culture community. Speedcity (funded by the Australia Council for the Arts and supported by Newcastle City Council) aimed to investigate the dynamics of Newcastle’s car culture and to provide the opportunity for young people to tell their stories about their passion for cars, music, the spaces they inhabit and the places they have access to.
On one level, Speedcity acted as a vehicle for community engagement by facilitating a dialogue between members of Newcastle’s ‘problem’ car culture and the wider community. However, the challenges and successes of the project can also be examined in a broader context. The story of Speedcity illuminates the issues that are thrown up when national cultural policy trends meet local cultural practices. This paper explores the challenges of implementing innovation in a regional arts context and how these practices impact our understanding of innovation.
Dr Clare Irvine is Education Coordinator for Maitland Regional Art Gallery in regional New South Wales. She has a background in arts management and was recently the Youth Arts Officer for the Theatre Board of the Australia Council for the Arts. She received a PhD from the University of Newcastle in 2006 and is currently engaged in cultural planning for Maitland City Council. Her PhD focussed on the growing influence of the term ‘innovation’ in cultural policy and its relationship to regional arts development.