Highly commended – SPARC cultural plan

Dubbo Regional Council’s Cultural Development Team has received ‘highly commended’ recognition in the Local Government NSW Awards hosted on Thursday (4 November 2021) for the Shaping Plans to Advance Regional Culture (SPARC) plan.

Council’s SPARC Cultural Plan was highly commended for The Leo Kelly OAM Arts & Culture Awards (Division B: population 30,000 – 70,000 people).

The SPARC Cultural Plan shines a light on how Council can commit to policy-making based on a solid foundation, development with, and responding to community and stakeholder feedback, with transparent processes for reporting, monitoring and review.

The Cultural Plan is based on six key values for cultural growth and recognition. These values are: Discovery, Growth, Immersion, Distinction, Accessibility and Communal.

The SPARC Cultural Plan allows improvements to current programs and support the development of future programs and services in response to community needs. The plan champions the role that culture plays in region-building, activating, celebrating and promoting the uniqueness of our community

The SPARC Cultural Plan is part of the 2040 Community Strategic Plan (CSP), and addresses many of the key areas of growth highlighted in the CSP. It aims to make the Dubbo region a lively and welcoming place to participate in arts and culture, and an established centre for the emerging and professional creative sector.

Councillor Leo Kelly OAM was a passionate and dedicated Local Government NSW Board member who served from 1983 until his passing in January 2017. His service included 15 years as vice-president (metropolitan) on the Local Government Association of NSW Board, and he was also a long-serving Blacktown City councillor. As a champion for the arts, Councillor Kelly was instrumental in creating Blacktown Arts Centre, as well as supporting the Blacktown City Art Prize and awarding scholarships for local artists.

The Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture Award recognises councils that have excelled in strategic policy, planning, delivery and evaluation in arts and culture.

Judges assess entries on whether they demonstrate:

  • Innovation and Improvements to cultural planning, policy, delivery and or evaluation
  • Achievement of intended goals with measurable cultural outcomes
  • Leadership to other councils and a strong legacy of the project.

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