INTHEBLACK June 2025 - Magazine - Page 30
FEATURE
The Paris Olympic
Games in August 2024.
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30 INTHEBLACK June 2025
cultural, social and economic benefits.
The steps these nations took included
planning for impact, sustaining cultural
policy, integrating cultural reporting and
investing in cultural relations.
Fielding says the 1988 Seoul Olympics
demonstrates how sustained cultural policy
can open a nation to the world and shift
its global arts and cultural standing.
Rio 2016 provides insights into how
planning for impact is critically important
to ensure the benefits of global events
last. For its part, Paris 2024 shows how
integrating cultural reporting across policy
portfolios can impact cultural expenditure
directly and positively benefits all people
and communities. “All three nations also
demonstrate how investing in cultural
relations can bolster regional and global
connections,” Fielding says.
The baton will soon be passed to the
Queensland capital in the lead-up to 2032.
How can it turn the benefits into spin-off
opportunities for sectors such as arts
and culture?
As part of a blueprint, Fielding calls
on Australia to “strategically plan for
impact” by harnessing the cultural policy
development that is in progress at every level
of government across Australia; develop
a practical and collaborative national
cultural strategy modelled on the Australian
Government’s National Sport Strategy
2024–34; create a ministerial council
reporting to the national Cabinet that
is focused on cultural access and the
cultural and creative industries; and develop
partnership agreements between cultural
ministers focused explicitly on Brisbane
in 2032.
“Doing this will ensure that the
once-in-a-generation opportunity doesn’t
pass us by,” Fielding says.
Blakemore agrees that the Olympics
and sport more widely are “a beautiful
focal point to drive policy” for Australian
investment in sport, tourism and cultural
initiatives. “It’s a great opportunity.”
PLAYING THE LONG GAME
As Australia seeks to expand its cultural
footprint, Griffin says South Korea’s
model clearly serves as an inspiring
example of how creativity and innovation
can drive economic growth and
international recognition.
Whether it is the popularity of K-pop,
Korean dramas or cuisine, it is clear that
South Korea’s strong government
investment into its cultural sector
continues to pay off.
“I think Australia can celebrate and
market itself as a multicultural country,
but we need to do so cohesively, and with
the same levels of continuous investment
that the Korean government made.” ■
