newy.com.au – City of Newcastle has unanimously adopted a 10-year cultural roadmap that prioritises securing long-term, affordable creative spaces for local artists and organisations.

The Cultural Plan 2026-2036, endorsed at last night’s council meeting, will guide the city’s support for arts, culture and creative industries over the next decade.

One of its key actions is to work with the NSW Government to assess options for affordable, fit-for-purpose places where artists and community groups can create, rehearse, perform, gather and share their work.

Those discussions will include examining the feasibility of a Creative Land Trust, which would acquire, hold and manage land and buildings in perpetuity for creative use. City of Newcastle is one of only two councils in NSW working with the government to safeguard cultural floor space in this way.

Lord Mayor Gavin Morris said supporting Newcastle’s creative identity was important as the city continued to grow.

“Culture is not simply entertainment. It shapes how our neighbourhoods feel, how we relate to our past and how young people imagine their future,” Cr Morris said.

“This plan supports practical action, from affordable creative space and stronger support for local artists to investment in live music, nightlife and community infrastructure.

“It recognises that creativity happens across the whole city and commits to creating opportunities for communities across Newcastle’s suburbs.”

The plan sets short, medium and long-term goals and outlines whether the council will act as a champion, advocate or enabler. By 2036, it aims to embed First Nations leadership throughout Newcastle’s cultural life, improve access to culture in every neighbourhood and help artists sustain careers locally.

Community and Culture Strategic Advisory Committee chair Jenny Barrie said consultation with more than 70 stakeholders had helped ground the plan in the experiences of cultural workers, organisations, communities and Traditional Custodians.

“What we heard most often was the need for more accessible spaces, more sustainable pathways, stronger inclusion, and a cultural identity that appropriately represents the city,” Cr Barrie said.

“The final plan provides a shared vision and clear pathway to ensure Newcastle remains a city of storytellers, enriched by the many histories, cultures and communities that call Newcastle home.”

Other short-term actions include trialling a microgrant program for small-scale creative and community-led activities, supporting the development of an annual creative summit and partnering with the independent sector to increase year-round cultural activity in Newcastle’s western suburbs.

The plan also recognises the enduring cultural leadership of the Awabakal and Worimi peoples and commits to ensuring First Nations knowledge, stories and connection to place inform Newcastle’s cultural future.

The adopted Cultural Plan 2026-2036 is available on City of Newcastle’s website.