The Australian Government's National Cultural Policy—Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place, is a 5-year plan to renew and revive Australia's arts, entertainment and cultural sector. Information about the consultation, development, and implementation of Revive is available at: National Cultural Policy—Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place.

Revive is structured around five interconnected pillars:

  1. First Nations First: Recognising and respecting the crucial place of First Nations stories at the centre of Australia's arts and culture.
  2. A Place for Every Story: Reflecting the breadth of our stories and the contribution of all Australians as the creators of culture.
  3. Centrality of the Artist: Supporting the artist as worker and celebrating artists as creators.
  4. Strong Cultural Infrastructure: Providing support across the spectrum of institutions which sustain our arts, culture and heritage.
  5. Engaging the Audience: Making sure our stories connect with people at home and abroad.

As Revive items are delivered, they will be listed on this page, including where actions are ongoing programs and initiatives.

First Nations First

Delivered actions

Through Revive, the Australian Government:

  • established a First Nations Board and appointed 2 Co-chairs and 8 other members to support and promote Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander arts practice on 9 September 2024. The Board oversees the work of First Nations Arts within Creative Australia to support and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts, enhances sustainable career pathways for First Nations people in the arts and increases opportunities to grow First Nations audiences.
  • committed $80 million to assist the Northern Territory government establish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia. More information is available at: Invest NT.
  • committed $1.5 million to support professional development and training opportunities for First Nations artists and arts workers, with further investment planned for 2025–26. This will help to ensure that artists are treated ethically and receive a fair return for their work.
  • supports ongoing telling of First Nations histories and stories in Australia's galleries, libraries, archives and museums. The government consulted with all nine National Collecting Institutions, resulting in a public commitment to incorporate Revive Pillar 1, First Nations First, as a key part of corporate strategies.
  • established a First Nations Languages Policy Partnership between First Nations representatives and Australian governments to improve outcomes for First Nations peoples. The sixth Languages Policy Partnership meeting was held in June 2024 in Gimuy/Cairns.
  • provided $5.0 million to upgrade training facilities at NAISDA Dance College's Kariong campus.
  • launched Voices of Country—Australia's Action Plan for the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032 on 23 August 2023 providing a framework to guide Australia's participation in the Decade. The Action Plan was co-authored in partnership between the First Nations members of the Directions Group and the Australian Government.
  • continued support for First Nations peoples to express, conserve and maintain their culture through languages and the arts, under the Indigenous Languages and Arts program. More information on this program, including funding recipients is available at: Indigenous Languages and Arts program.
  • continued investment in First Nations art centres, as well as pivotal sector organisations, through the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program to benefit First Nations communities. More information on this program, including funding recipients, is available at: Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program.
  • continued seeking the voluntary and unconditional return of First Nations ancestors and cultural heritage material held overseas and domestically, and the return of First Nations ancestors and secret sacred objects held in 8 major museums. More information on the programs is available at: Indigenous Repatriation and Return of Cultural Heritage | AIATSIS.

A Place for Every Story

Delivered actions

Through Revive, the Australian Government:

  • released Equity: the Arts and Disability Associated Plan (Equity) on 14 November 2024. Equity is an Associated Plan under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 and an initiative under Revive. Equity is a four-year roadmap of activities to build the foundations for equity for artists, arts workers and audiences with disability across Australia, with an $8.1 million investment in actions to drive change. Stakeholders can register to receive updates on Equity, including opportunities to be involved or provide feedback, via a contact form.
  • increased support for regional arts and culture through the Regional Arts Fund to by $8.5 million over 4 years from 2023–24, and is continuing investment in the Festivals Australia program. Learn more about the Regional Arts Fund and Festivals Australia at Regional arts.
  • built partnerships between visual arts infrastructure and National Collecting Institutions to display works from the national collection (See also Strong Cultural Infrastructure Pillar).
  • funded The First Nations Playgroups Pilot to build the capacity of Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations and support the long-term development of culturally appropriate early childhood services. The Pilot provides accessible spaces, resources and opportunities for First Nations children to play together through arts and culture, and for their parents and caregivers to seek social support.
  • established the Office for Youth and launched a new Youth Engagement Strategy on 20 March 2024. The strategy embeds the voices of young people in government decision making. The strategy also outlines the Office for Youth's successful Youth Advisory Group program established in November 2022. The Youth Advisory Groups partner with government agencies and provide direct advice on their area of focus, groups and topics are refreshed annually. In 2024, the Office for the Arts worked with the Creative Industries Youth Advisory Group on key aspects of the National Cultural Policy. More information about the Youth Advisory Group is available at youth.gov.au/youth-advisory-groups.
  • established a Community Language Schools Grants program with $15 million allocated to over 600 Community Language Schools. The Community Language Schools enable more young Australians to learn a second language, connecting them to the languages and cultures of our diverse multicultural society.
  • committed to funding 65 community organisations through the Local Multicultural Projects Initiative, including support for local community artistic and cultural activities and celebration.
  • released the Multicultural Framework Review report and the Government Response on 24 July 2024. The Review examined the state of Australia's multicultural society, and recommended changes to laws, policies and institutional settings that build on the strengths of multiculturalism and enable it to respond to contemporary challenges. The Review Panel's report and the Government Response to the Review are available at www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/multicultural-framework-review.
  • continued investment in improved digital connectivity for First Nations communities and people in regional and remote areas. The Regional Connectivity Program and the Mobile Black Spot Program enable digital access and provide connectivity solutions to regional communities, supporting increased access to arts and cultural activities.
  • committed in the May 2023 budget $48 million over 5 years to protect and conserve Australia's natural, historic and First Nations heritage places for future generations.
  • $5.3 million per annum in Australian Heritage Grants.
  • $14.7 million over 4 years from 2022–23 to support the progression of World Heritage List nominations and the protection of cultural heritage. Places are listed for natural, historic and/or Indigenous values. There are now almost 400 Australian places on the Commonwealth Heritage List, 120 places on the National Heritage List and 20 Australian properties on the World Heritage List.

Progress towards an action

  • The Australian Government is investing in local arts and cultural infrastructure across Australia through:

Centrality of the Artist

Delivered actions

Through Revive, the Australian Government:

  • strengthened health and safety regulations. On 1 April 2023, amendments to the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) commenced in the Commonwealth jurisdiction to explicitly deal with psychosocial hazards, including bullying and sexual harassment. On 2 November 2024, a Code of Practice on managing psychosocial hazards at work commenced in the Commonwealth jurisdiction, closely based on Safe Work Australia’s (SWA’s) model Code of Practice. On 20 December 2023, SWA published a model Code of Practice on sexual and gender-based harassment at work. To have effect, jurisdictions will need to implement the model Code under their own work health and safety laws. The Government provided $2 million over two financial years from 2023-24 to 2024-25 to fund the development and delivery of a ‘train-the-trainer’ program on workplace psychosocial hazards for Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) in the Commonwealth jurisdiction. The training will improve HSRs’ psychosocial hazard literacy, and supports implementation of new regulations on managing psychosocial risks. This will also strengthen existing work health and safety laws and guidance.
  • established Creative Workplaces, within the newly established Creative Australia, to provide advice on issues of pay, safety and welfare in the arts and entertainment sector, refer matters to the relevant authorities and develop codes of conduct and resources for the sector.
  • supported the long-term financial sustainability of the 7 national performing arts training organisations and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, through delivering an additional $115.2 million in funding over 4 years as part of the 2024–25 Federal Budget and a further $36.4 million in funding that will be indexed and ongoing from 2028–29. More information is available at: Investing in our future artists and arts workers | Office for the Arts
  • provided $2.6 million to support specialist in-school arts education programs that directly draw from cultural and creative sector expertise, focussing on areas of identified disadvantage.
  • extended the Public and Educational Lending Right Schemes to include digital content for the first time in 2023–24. Australian authors and publishers are now eligible to receive funding from June 2024 for free use of their ebooks and audiobooks as well as print books. This is the first stage of modernisation of the Schemes. More information is available at: Australian Lending Right Schemes (ELR/PLR).
  • provided crucial mental health services to the music sector with a funding agreement of $1 million per year for up to 4 years for Support Act through Creative Workplaces.
  • supported musicians by mandating a minimum remuneration amount for performers at Australian Government events and functions.
  • conducted a broad and comprehensive review of Australia's copyright enforcement regime, including working with copyright owners and users through a series of Copyright Roundtables in 2023 to consider opportunities to improve Australia's copyright framework. Further information on next steps is available on the Attorney-General's Department website.
  • endorsed the voluntary Code of Practice for Visual Arts, Craft and Design through the release of Revive.
  • developed information about the support available for artists looking for work or working in the creative arts sector, and to have this recognised as part of their mutual obligation requirements for unemployment payments. More information is available at: Workforce Australia supports creative and freelance workers—Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Government (dewr.gov.au).
  • continued support for creative practice in the classroom through the 5 arts subjects (dance, drama, media arts, music and visual arts) under the Australian Curriculum: The Arts. On 1 April 2022, all elements of the revised Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 were endorsed by all state and territory education ministers. Further information is available at v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au.
  • continued promotion of the Self-Employment Assistance program to the arts community, including to First Nations peoples, encouraging new and existing arts businesses to access free business mentoring and support to develop business plans and strategies that more effectively monetise their cultural contributions to Australia. More information is available at:
  • implemented the Respect@Work Report by:
    • establishing grants to provide $37.6 million over 4 years from 2023–24 and $8 million per year ongoing from 2027–28 to establish and fund working women's centres in every state and territory, as well as a national body to facilitate coordination and collaboration of all centres. Working women's centres provide free advice and assistance to women on workplace issues including sexual harassment and discrimination.
    • expressly prohibiting sexual harassment in the Fair Work Act 2009. More information is available at: New workplace sexual harassment laws—Fair Work Ombudsman
    • establishing a new sexual harassment jurisdiction in the Fair Work Commission. Workers can now choose to make complaints about workplace sexual harassment to the Fair Work Commission or the Australian Human Rights Commission. More information is available at: Sexual harassment | Fair Work Commission (fwc.gov.au).
    • introducing a positive duty in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 requiring employers to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate certain forms of unlawful sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, as far as possible. More information is available at: New positive duty on employers to prevent workplace sexual harassment, sex discrimination and victimisation | Respect@Work (respectatwork.gov.au).
  • provided $1.8 million to enhance the Resale Royalty Scheme. This will upgrade the Resale Royalty Scheme's IT platform to enable royalty payments to visual artists, including First Nations artists, from the commercial sale of eligible works internationally. From 31 March 2024, resale royalty entitlements include 17 countries that have entered into reciprocal arrangements with Australia.
  • released the Australian Universities Accord Panel Final Report on 25 February 2024. It provides recommendations to government on higher education reforms for the next decade and beyond. The government is now considering the Report's recommendations and will respond in due course.
  • wrote, through the then Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, to the President of the Fair Work Commission on 12 September 2023 expressing the government's interest in a targeted review of modern awards. On 15 September 2023, the Fair Work Commission initiated the Modern Awards Review 2023–24 which considered, amongst other things, existing award coverage and minimum standards for the arts and culture sector, including potential coverage gaps. The review concluded on 18 July 2024 with the publication of a Final Report by the Fair Work Commission. The Fair Work Commission initiated proceedings on 25 September 2024 to consider variations to the Amusement, Events and Recreation Award 2020 to ensure it clearly and adequately establishes minimum terms and conditions of employment for arts workers, and variations to the Live Performance Award 2020 arising from stakeholder consensus during consultations.

Strong Cultural Infrastructure

Delivered actions

Through Revive the Australian Government:

  • restored $44.0 million in previous funding cuts to the Australia Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia) to address underfunded areas like youth arts and expand its functions to establish the new landmark body for the arts, Creative Australia. This includes:
    • the enactment legislation to establish Writing Australia to provide direct support to the literature sector from 2025. This will strengthen the Australian literature sector and develop further markets and audiences, here and overseas. Through targeted investment and the development of national industry initiatives, it will increase opportunities for authors, illustrators and publishers to create new works and tell new stories.
    • the establishment of a First Nations Board within Creative Australia on 9 September 2024, backed with investment of $52 million for First Nations arts over 4 years from 2024–25. (See also "First Nations First pillar").
    • the Introduction of the Creative Australia Bill which was passed by the Parliament, establishing the centrepiece of Revive, a restored and modernised Australia Council for the Arts, to deliver increased investment and better support for the Australian cultural and creative sector.
    • the establishment of Music Australia backed with a commitment of $69.4 million over 4 years, to support the Australian music industry to grow, including through strategic initiatives and industry partnerships, research, skills development and export promotion.
    • the establishment of Creative Workplaces (see also "Centrality of the Artist pillar").
    • the establishment of the Creative Futures Fund (formerly named works of scale) through Creative Australia, with funding of $19 million to support new artistic works of scale.
  • transferred the functions of Creative Partnerships Australia to the newly established Creative Australia. This creates synergies between public and private partnerships, as well as government and philanthropic investment.
  • through Creative Australia, researched the national qualitative, quantitative and economic impact of music festivals, releasing a report of findings in April 2024. For more information see Soundcheck: Insights into Australia's music festival sector.
  • provided $11.8 million over 4 years to establish the National Gallery of Australia's Sharing the National Collective Initiative, supporting the long-term loan of works to regional and suburban cultural institutions across Australia. Expressions of interest for the program opened in July 2023 with the unveiling in November 2023 of the inaugural loan of Claude Monet's Meules, milieu du jour [Haystacks, midday], 1890 to the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre.
  • provided $3.8 million dollars to help preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural content held on vulnerable magnetic tape media. Using mobile digitisation kits and their Central Australia facility as a hub, AIATSIS is partnering with Mparntwe bodies and the Remote Indigenous Media Organisations, to preserve these collections of heritage and cultural information, and provide Communities with training in their care.
  • re-established Ministerial-level meetings between Commonwealth, state and territory cultural ministers, and the Australian Local Government Association. At a meeting in October 2022, Ministers agreed to meet approximately twice a year. Cultural Ministers met twice in 2024, in March and July.
  • streamlined programs that incentivise philanthropic support for the arts, by transferring administrative responsibility for assessing Deductible Gift Recipient status for Cultural Organisations (formerly the Register of Cultural Organisations) from the Office for the Arts to the Australian Tax Office. This will assist cultural organisations to attract donations from businesses and individuals.
  • established the Creative Futures Fund (formerly named works of scale) through Creative Australia, with funding of $19 million to support new artistic works of scale. Expressions of interest opened for the program on 15 May 2024.

Progress towards an action

  • increased funding to Creative Australia to support more small and medium arts organisations and drive new artistic works of scale including the establishment of the Creative Futures Fund on 15 May 2024.

Other work delivered to support strong cultural infrastructure

In addition, the Australian Government:

Engaging the Audience

Delivered actions

Through Revive the Australian Government:

  • continued support for large-scale screen productions filming in Australia by increasing the Location Offset from 16.5 to 30 per cent. (More information is available at: Tax rebates for film and television producers | Office for the Arts)
  • protected the live performance industry from ticket scalpers by working closely with the Consumer and Fair Trading Division of Australian Competition & Consumer Commission for ongoing monitoring of compliance with the Competition and Consumer (Australian Consumer Law – Electronic Ticket Resale Service) Information Standard 2022.
  • provided greater funding certainty and independence for Australia's national broadcasters by moving the ABC and SBS to 5-year funding terms. The national broadcasters will receive $7.8 billion in funding over 5 years from 1 July 2023, including additional funding for the ABC to address a previous pause on funding indexation. This funding stability for the national broadcasters underpins the delivery of quality content and services that inform, entertain and educate millions of Australians, including children, regional audiences and diverse multicultural communities.
  • delivered improvements to the National Broadband Network and regional connectivity through NBN Co undertaking a program of upgrades to its fixed-line and fixed wireless networks, with satellite services also benefiting from the fixed wireless upgrade. This work supports enhanced digital inclusion, and social and economic opportunities for all Australians.
  • released its Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy on 13 July 2024. The Strategy builds on Australia's proud history of media engagement across the Indo-Pacific.
    Activities under the Strategy will foster a vibrant and independent media sector, present an accurate understanding of modern, multicultural Australia, and support deeper people-to-people engagement.
  • has reinstated the Australian Arts in Asia and the Pacific Awards (now the Asia Pacific Arts Awards) celebrating Australia's rich cultural exchange and creative connections in the Asia Pacific region through arts and culture.
  • strengthened arts collaboration, exchange and cultural diplomacy by continuing to leverage Australia's diplomatic network to develop appropriate international collaborative activities, amplify Revive objectives, and identify opportunities that will deliver strong cultural diplomacy outcomes for Australia.
  • appointed Mr Justin Mohamed as Australia's inaugural Ambassador for First Nations People and established the Office for First Nations International Engagement. Ambassador Mohamed and the Office are working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, advocates and leaders to embed First Nations voices, perspectives and experiences into Australia's foreign policy, and help grow First Nations' trade and investment.
  • awarded the Alannah and Madeline Foundation $6 million to deliver digital and media literacy programs in schools. The programs will empower Australian children and young people to become critical, responsive and active citizens online.
  • continues to support activities and programs that support live performance, festivals and touring, including in regional areas. More information is available at:
  • provided $12.0 million over 4 years to increase investment to support digital games developers and small and medium independent games studios through Screen Australia. Funding opportunities will be announced at: Production—Online—Funding and Support—Screen Australia.
  • created new opportunities for Australian artists and developers through growing Australia's games industry. Legislation to effect the Digital Games Tax Offset passed through both Houses of Parliament on 21 June 2023. Members were appointed to the Digital Games Tax Offset Advisory Board on 12 September 2023. The Digital Games Tax Offset is live and accepting applications. For more information visit: Digital games.
  • supported digital and international market development for Australian artists by increasing funding for Sounds Australia to build on the growth achieved to date and to expand into new markets. Funding is being provided through Creative Australia.
  • continued the use of Australia's Nation Brand to tell uniquely Australian stories, and demonstrate Australian capabilities through our First Nations cultures and storytelling. More information is available at: Home | Australia's Nation Brand (brandaustralia.com).
  • undertook a range of actions, alongside State and Territory Governments and industry, including THRIVE 2030, the national Strategy for the Visitor Economy. This includes actions to support artistic and cultural events and Tourism Australia's initiatives to incorporate cultural assets into destination marketing and campaigns. Tourism Australia's Discover Aboriginal Experiences marketing collective now supports over 160 quality, authentic Aboriginal guided tourism experiences. A brand strategy and new website www.discoveraboriginalexperiences.com launched in early 2023. Further, all Tourism Ministers agreed and recently launched a Sustainable Tourism Framework that includes culture as a key pillar with a Sustainability Toolkit for tourism operators supporting businesses to engage with and incorporate Aboriginal and other cultures into their products.
  • Austrade continued supporting and promoting the government's trade diversification agenda through Austrade to strengthen and expand trade networks, growing markets for cultural and creative exports. For example: