CWQ Grow Your Own – Arts, Culture and Creativity

The CWQ Grow Your Own builds on the work and outcomes of the Woven Stories project. The project is focused on building long-term capability and opportunity in the arts, culture and creative industries in our region.

A key outcome was the RAPAD CWQ Arts, Cultural and Creative Industry Workforce Plan, developed with community and industry, to support development of a local workforce.

Led by RAPAD, this project was proudly supported and funded by the Queensland Government through Jobs Queensland.

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This project was proudly supported and funded by the Queensland Government through Jobs Queensland.

Cultural Plans

Strategic cultural planning helps ensure our local arts, culture and creativity remain strong and supported, and help organisations respond to changes and opportunities that can support and grow the work they already do.

RAPAD has developed Cultural Planning resources to help organisations develop their own plans.

Designed for community groups, councils, businesses and organisations of all kinds, the online resources include a facilitator workbook, worksheets and short explainer videos to guide practical, locally-relevant cultural planning.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or building on existing work, these resources support groups to work together, clarify priorities and harness the benefits of arts, culture and creativity in ways that fit what you already do.

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This project was made possible through funding from the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal’s (FRRR) through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Woven Stories

In 2024, the ‘Woven Stories’ project, led by RAPAD and partnering with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) builds on RAPAD supported research by Dr Sandra Gattenhof and Dr Donna Hancox investigating ‘The Role of the Creative Arts in Regional Australia’ published in March 2023.

The project team visited and ran workshops in Jundah, Winton, Alpha, Barcaldine, Tambo and with health stakeholders in Longreach during April 2024. Workshop participants shared their understanding of creativity, the aspects of communities they are most proud of and the spaces and places that are important to them and that make the greatest impact. The workshops also explored community challenges and opportunities across all aspects of life and future hopes and ambitions for communities.

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The ‘Woven Stories’ project was made possible through funding from the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal’s (FRRR) ‘Community Impact Program’.

The Role of Creative Arts in Regional Australia

In 2023, RAPAD partnered in this Australian Research Council Linkage project which addresses the challenge to effectively target regional arts funding to programs and activities that build capacity and have lasting impact for end-users. It delivers a framework for evaluating the arts, to argue for the arts to be included in a broader understanding of community and national wellbeing and success. This framework will position Australia as an international leader in articulating and responding to the social impact of the arts.

Central West Queensland was chosen as a field site for this project with a focus on Red Ridge (Interior Queensland). The research field sites were chosen in consultation with project partners as communities whose capacity and challenges are reflected throughout much of regional Australia.

Read more about this project and read report on the Role of Creative Arts in Regional Australia.

RAPAD has partnered with Queensland University of Technology to deliver Woven Stories and the Role of Creative Arts projects.