Kultour is the national body whose purpose is to ensure that arts in Australia reflects our cultural diversity.

How we do this takes various shapes and forms through services and lobbying. Kultour is developing close relationships with the sector, three tiers of government, philanthropy and the international community on cultural diversity in the arts.  Kultour is an active member of ArtsPeak - an network of arts peak bodies from across Australia, chaired by Ausdance Australia.

Recent Advocacy Events in 2011:

• Kultour participates and support the Arts and Culture Session at the 2011 Federation of Ethnic Councils of Australia Conference titled: Advancing Multiculturalism (17 and 18 November 2011)
• Nike Jonah, Senior Program Manager, decibel, Arts Council England presented by Kultour on Achieving Great Arts for Everyone in Melbourne October 2011
• Kultour participates in the 2011 IFACCA World Summit on Arts and Culture (October 2011)

LIST OF RESOURCES AND SUGGESTED SITES: 

NATIONAL

• KULTOUR SUBMISSION TO THE NATIONAL CULTURAL POLICY, 2011

• PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA - 2010 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MULTICULTURAL POLICY 2010

• Community Engagement Framework – AUSTRALIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS (2010-2012)

• About Australia, DFAT

• Australian Government’s Diversity and Social Cohesion Program

• Australian Human Rights Commission (Race Discrimination)

• Mapping Social Cohesion, 2011 – Scanlon Survey

• National Cultural Policy Discussion Paper 2011

INTERNATIONAL

• United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

• Achieving Great Art for Everyone – A Strategic Framework for the Arts, Arts Council England (2010-2020)

• Adaptive resilience, Arts Council England 2011

• Creative Case, Arts Council England, 2011

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD OF COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

Australia became a party to the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions on 23 September 2009.

There are a number of obligations that are incumbent on the Parties, which are called upon to:

1. endeavour to promote in their territory the creation of an environment which encourages individuals and social groups to create, produce, disseminate, distribute, and have access to their cultural expressions, paying attention to the special circumstances and needs of women and social groups, including persons belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to have access to diverse cultural expressions within their territory and from other countries of the world;
2. ensure information sharing and transparency by providing appropriate information in their reports to UNESCO every four years on measures taken to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions;
3. foster the public’s understanding of the importance of the diversity of cultural expressions through educational and public-awareness programmes;
4. acknowledge the fundamental role of civil society in protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions by encouraging the active participation of civil society in efforts by Parties to achieve the objectives of the Convention;
5. incorporate culture into sustainable development and strengthen international cooperation in support of developing countries by several means, for instance, by strengthening their cultural industries, building their capacities to develop and implement cultural policies, technology transfer, financial support and preferential treatment for their artists and other cultural professionals and for their cultural goods and services.

Australia is a signatory to the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

(Extract)

The States Parties to the present Covenant:

• Recognizing that, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal of free human beings enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social and cultural rights, as well as his civil and political rights,

• Realizing that the individual, having duties to other individuals and to the community to which he belongs, is under a responsibility to strive for the promotion and observance of the rights recognized in the present Covenant,

Agree upon the following articles (1 to 29):

Article 1

1. All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

Article 15

1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone:

(a) To take part in cultural life;

(b) To enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications;

(c) To benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

2. The steps to be taken by the States Parties to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include those necessary for the conservation, the development and the diffusion of science and culture.

For further details on our Advocacy
Please contact Kultour's CEO Julie Tipene-O'Toole on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it