FAQs

Creative Wollongong is our plan for growing local creative industries, supporting community participation in creative life and celebrating our unique places and spaces.

It provides a roadmap for Council's efforts in supporting local artists, cultural organisations, and community initiatives. It helps our city be more creative, brings people together, and helps our economy.

Creative Wollongong was made by talking to people in our community and looking at what other cities are doing. We’ve considered state and national policies on art and culture. We’ve listened to what people want and made a plan based on that.

Council plays multiple roles, including:

• Listening to community needs
• Partnering with cultural institutions, local arts and community groups
• Supporting creatives through grants, commissions of new work, and collaborations
• Promoting accessibility to arts events, and
• Advocating for arts locally and promoting nationally and internationally.

"Game changers" (on page 20 of the draft strategy) are big projects or initiatives outside of Creative Wollongong’s actions that could greatly affect our City's creative scene. These projects (BlueScope Lands, Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, growth of the West Dapto community, and Illawarra Sports and Entertainment Precinct) provide chances to work together, allocate resources, and meet shared goals, making Wollongong more creative and economically vibrant. Recognising their importance helps ensure that Creative Wollongong 2024-2033 can adapt to broader changes in the community and economy.

You can check how Creative Wollongong is going by reading our regular reports, including quarterly updates and annual reviews. We'll also keep you updated through newsletters and social media.

A cultural plan typically benefits several groups in our community, including:

• Residents, by providing access to a vibrant cultural scene.
• Artists and organisations, by offering support, funding, and resources.
• Local businesses, through increased visitors and revenue.
• Our City, by improving its reputation and economic growth.
• Tourists, by creating and supporting cultural events and attractions.
• Children and youth, by providing opportunities for artistic development and cultural enrichment.

• Culture Mix, a vibrant festival offering diverse cultural experiences.
• Coomaditchie: The Art of Place project, which involved community workshops and an art exhibition that toured to the Museum of Sydney.
• Artward; artist residencies in unconventional spaces.
• A grants program that provided financial support for local creatives and cultural groups.
• Upgrades to improve accessibility and amenities at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre.
• Creative Wollongong studios provided affordable artist residencies.
• I Belong in the Gong, a social inclusion project aimed at reducing alcohol-related violence at venues in the city.
• The Wollongong CBD Night-Time Economy Policy supported businesses to extend operating hours, enhancing the night-time economy.

You can read more details about what was achieved in the Creative Wollongong 2019-2024 Snapshot document.

You can give feedback on draft Creative Wollongong 2024-2033 until Thursday 27 June 2024 by:

• Completing the online survey
• Filling out a survey at your local Council library or Wollongong Art Gallery
• Sending an email to engagement@wollongong.nsw.gov.au 
• Writing to us at Locked Bag 8821, Wollongong DC NSW 2500
• Calling us on 4227 7111 to have a feedback form posted to your address

The feedback we get will help us put the finishing touches on Creative Wollongong 2024-2033. Then, we'll present it to Council for adoption (approval). Once it's been adopted, we can start making it happen! We’ll contact everyone who makes a submission to let you know when it’s going to Council.

Once the engagement period wraps up, we’ll carefully review all the feedback received. We’ll write a summary of this feedback and share the report with the team responsible for crafting the Creative Wollongong strategy. They'll take into account everyone's feedback to refine the strategy, making sure it fits what our community wants and needs. We’ll send everyone who makes a submission the feedback summary as well.

To take the survey, you just need to provide an email address and a screen name. Once you do that, the survey questions will appear.

Getting an error message that says “email address in use”:
You don't need to be registered with our engagement website, however, if you received the message "email address in use" when you put in your email address, this means our engagement website has recognised your email as you've previously used it to register with us. The website is prompting you to sign into your account first. If you are registered with us but prefer not to sign in or have forgotten your password, you can take the survey by providing an alternative email address or resetting your password by following the “forgot password” link. You can also complete a hardcopy survey instead. These are available at all Council libraries and Wollongong Art Gallery, or you can print out this PDF version and scan or photograph it and email it back to us once you've completed it.