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Arts & Culture

Arts and Culture

Bollards by Gerry McMahonThe role of arts and culture, both historic and contemporary in city environments has long been recognised as an important part of a city's character.  The arts are a product of creativity and take many forms including performing arts (dance, music, theatre, opera, puppetry etc) literary arts (poetry, creative writing, film, new media etc) visual arts (painting, sculpture, glass, ceramics) and the applied arts (craft, design, architecture, jewelry).

The expression of a city's living culture is vital to creating a sense of place, active communities and a healthy city; where people feel represented and welcomed. Adelaide is a city that fosters creativity, values ideas and innovation and encourages expressions of diverse and vibrant cultures.

» City Arts and Living Culture Strategy 2003-2007 (PDF, 588Kb)

Public Art

The first Adelaide City Council Public Art Policy Watch This Place was endorsed 5 March 2001. In 2008, the Policy underwent a detailed review to reflect current public art issues, and align with Council's Strategic Framework of creating Unique Heritage, Park Lands and City Design and a Culturally Vibrant City.

The Policy provides a sound framework to guide the City’s approach to public art, defined as physical works of art for the public realm, both of a permanent and temporary nature. Council’s Public Art Policy defines agreed objectives and Policy Statements that will support:

  • Creativity and Placemaking
  • Resourcing
  • Partnerships
  • Planning, Commissioning and Maintenance

Key elements of the Policy include:

  • Council’s commitment to annually providing 1.3% of its total Capital Renewal and Strategic Enhancement budgets to fund public art outcomes.
  • Three existing public art categories: Outdoor Gallery Art.
  • Community Art and Integrated Art.
  • Representation of two Council Members on the Public Art Round Table (PART).
  • A practical approach to gifts and donations.
  • Opportunities to strengthen Council’s public art capacity through partnerships with the State Government, community groups and private developers.

The period 2002 to 2007 saw over $4 million in public art initiatives delivered in the City.  Public art outcomes have been significant and diverse and delivered in a variety of City locations.  These range from major permanent artwork's such as Talking Our Way Home, by Shaun Kirby and Thylacine Art Projects located in the Torrens Lake, to the colourful temporary ‘paper cut’ style banners by Gerry Wedd that are installed in Grote Street.

The Rundle Project: Rundle Street Integrated Public Art Masterplan

The Rundle Project is an innovative and award winning approach to planning for public art in the urban landscape of the Rundle Street precinct. Using public art typologies, the document provides a framework and structure for artists, designers and Council to guide the implementation of future public art proposals. The Rundle Project challenges conventional ways of representing and approaching art in the public realm and invites artists and designers to respond accordingly.

» The Rundle Project (PDF, 4Mb)

Public Art Policy: 2008-2013 Five Year Public Art Plan

The Five Year Public Art Plan provides Council with a robust, flexible and strategic framework for the City’s annual public art commissioning program.  The Plan sets out priorities for art works in the City and Park Lands that can be achieved in conjunction with future capital works and development opportunities.

The Plan informs and delivers the allocation of Council’s public art budget across the 3 artwork categories specified in Council’s Public Art Policy. Proposed projects are focused in priority locations for new artworks based on the Council’s programming of major improvements of the City’s streets and public spaces.

Commissioning quality works of art in strategic City locations that complement areas of high capital works activity will achieve the greatest benefit from the Council’s Public Art program. An integrated planning approach ensures that public art outcomes and resources are not spread too thinly and that the Council’s investment in public art has the desired level of impact and quality to create attractive and vibrant places.

The following localities are identified as Focus Areas for Outdoor Gallery and Integrated Art projects in the 2008-2013 Five Year Public Art Plan:

  • Victoria Square/Tarndanyangga
  • Park Lands
  • Victoria Park / Bakkabakkandi
  • Frome
  • Road Park
  • Rundle Mall and laneways / Rundle Street
  • North Terrace (remaining stages)
  • Gawler Place
  • Central West Precinct (Grote Street / Balfours)

» 2008–2013  Five Year Public Art Plan (PDF, 547Kb)

Grants

The purpose of the Arts and Culture Grants program is to assist artists and arts and cultural organisations and groups to deliver inspiring arts and culture activities and events which make a positive contribution to the City.

Strategic Partnership Grants are offered once a year in April and Temporary Public Art and Community Arts Programs and Events Grants are offered twice a year, in April and October:

  • Strategic Partnership Grants, maximum $20,000
  • Temporary Public Art Grants, maximum $8,000
  • Community Arts Programs and Events, maximum $8,000

Public Art Database

You can find out more about the many City public artworks through Councils' Online Public Art Database web based resource. To make finding public artworks as easy as possible, a data base has been set up so you can search by artist, artform, artwork title, location and medium/material.

» View the Public Art Gallery

Council maintains a high involvement in many areas of the arts across the City. Checkout these arts organisations in the City:

For further information, please contact the Planning Officer Arts and Culture.