Australia’s next National Cultural Policy is being written right now – and the opportunity for regional communities to have their say closes Sunday, May 24.

Orana Arts Inc, our local Regional Arts Development Organisation (RADO), is encouraging communities and those with an interest in and passion for the broad spectrum of “the arts” to put pen to paper and make their thoughts known.

“Town hall sessions were promised but to date, no regional locations have been confirmed. No one’s turning up in Narromine or Coonabarabran to take notes,” Orana Arts Chair, Steve Vidler, said in an announcement earlier this month.

“This is the document that shapes how arts funding flows across this country for the next chapter. What gets prioritised. What gets funded. Who gets counted.

“If we don't show up in numbers – we won't show up in the policy,” his statement continued.

Written submissions must be 500 words or less and artificial intelligence (AI) will be used to evaluate submissions for common themes. Importantly, submissions must include postcodes and specific key words – for a very important reason.

“Your postcode must be included from the start. That's how regional voices get counted,” Orana Arts warns.

Specific wording to be used in submissions includes the terms “regional”, “remote”, and “rural”.

Orana Arts engagement officer Sharon Quill asks communities reading this to not switch off thinking this is “just an arts thing”. It’s about people identifying what kinds of communities they want to live in.

“This conversation is actually about towns. Communities. Young people. Local business. Public spaces. Events. Tourism. Belonging,” she told Dubbo Photo News.

Responses will help shape what gets funded in communities like ours, Sharon said.

“Festivals. Creative programs. Live music. Community events. Museums. Public art. Youth engagement initiatives. Local storytelling. The things that make a town feel alive – not just somewhere people pass through on the highway,” she explained.

“In regional, rural and remote communities, culture is not separate from community life. It is part of the social and economic infrastructure that helps towns thrive. Across the Orana region, we see that already happening,” she added.

Young people from across the wider region performed with Moorambilla Voices in Sydney late last year, while communities reaped the benefits of the “Under The Gums” festival in Gilgandra, the Dolly Parton Festival in Narromine, and the Warrumbungle Bloomfest was a celebration of light, music and creativity.

Submissions to the Australian Government close at 11.59pm on Sunday, May 24, and can be made online via a link at www.arts.gov.au/what-we-do/new-national-cultural-policy.