Expanding Cultures: 24 - 27 July 2007, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Host Councils
Located in Melbourne's inner east, Stonnington covers an area of 25.62 square kilometres. Taking in the suburbs of Prahran, Windsor, South Yarra, Toorak, Armadale, Malvern, Malvern East, Glen Iris and Kooyong, Stonnington has an economically and culturally diverse population of 87,412. The housing stock alone, ranging from some of Melbourne's finest mansions to large blocks of public housing, is just one obvious indication of the community's contrasting lifestyles, aspirations and expectations. Stonnington boasts world class shopping precincts such as Chapel Street, Toorak Road, High Street and Glenferrie Road and is also home to Chadstone Shopping Centre, Victoria's premier regional shopping centre.
The City has a variety of parks, gardens and open space including Victoria Gardens, Central Park, the Glen Iris Wetlands and the Urban Forest. The range of recreation facilities on offer includes the Malvern Valley Golf Club, two aquatic centres, numerous tennis centres and a myriad of bicycle paths. Council's recreation and cultural centre, Chapel Off Chapel, provides the city with a dynamic arts, recreation and tourism focus.
Arts and cultural practice flourishes in its arts hubs such as the Fitzroy Town Hall and Abbotsford Convent and in studios, performing and music venues, festivals, parks, streets, art galleries, libraries, schools, restaurants, hotels and backyards, and is integral to the City's quality of life. The City of Yarra's vision is as a leading place for diverse and vibrant arts, cultures and communities. The Council's mission is to work with communities, artists, organizations, business and government to achieve community well-being, economic strength and cultural vitality within Yarra.
Melbourne, one of the world’s most liveable cities, is the capital city of Victoria, Australia. With a metropolitan area covering 8806sqkm, it is home to 3.2 million people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds. Melbourne's economic and political centre is located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Melbourne, an area of 36.5sqkm that includes the central business district, some of Melbourne's most historic suburbs and Southbank. Most of Melbourne's famous sporting venues and major parks and gardens are also found here. Melbourne is a city of energy, sophistication and innovation. It is also a city of history and cultural diversity.
The City of Melbourne is committed to fostering an environment where the people of Melbourne can participate in the arts, where artists and creative industries are encouraged and where Indigenous art and culture is valued and respected.
The City of Boroondara is home to 160,000 people in Melbourne's inner and middle-eastern suburbs. Known for our tree-lined streets, parks and gardens, recreational facilities and cultural activities, Boroondara covers an area of 60 square kilometres. Our suburbs are recognised for their many well-preserved examples of Victorian, Edwardian and early twentieth century housing. As well as its residential character, Boroondara also represents a place of study and work for many people who are part of our thriving educational and commercial sectors. While being only five kilometres east of the central business district, almost two-thirds of the City is bounded by water courses and parklands including the Yarra River, Gardiners Creek and Yarra Bend Park. The City has a proud heritage dating back to the early nineteenth century. "Boroondara" is taken from the Woiwurrung dialect that refers to 'where the ground is thickly shaded', an obvious reference to the densely wooded and forested area that made this an ideal hunting area in centuries gone by.
The City of Boroondara’s Leisure & Cultural Services Department supports community arts organisations and individuals by providing programs and advice to assist in the development of arts and cultural projects including exhibitions, performances and festivals. Each year Cultural Services produce a diverse range of programs. There is an active literary and music program which includes the Boroondara Eisteddfod, the Boroondara Literary Awards and a concert series. In addition, one off projects and events are held that provide an opportunity for members of the community to participate in, and enjoy all that the arts have to offer.
The City of Maribyrnong is growing as a vibrant arts and cultural centre. The variety and scope of artistic and cultural activity across the city is increasing as more artists and arts organisations establish themselves in the city. Council's Arts & Cultural Services Team implements strategies across the following areas: arts and cultural promotion and advocacy; cultural infrastructure development; arts development; public art and spaces and integrated planning, policies and projects.
According to the last Census in 2001, Moreland is a city of 136,894 people. Residents in Moreland come from a range of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Just over one third (33.5%) of Moreland residents were born overseas and 41% of residents speak a language other than English at home. Moreland has been and continues to be the first Australian home for many newly-arrived migrants.
The City of Moreland consists of the suburbs of Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Coburg, Coburg North, Fawkner, Glenroy, Gowanbrae, Hadfield, Merlynston, Newlands, Oak Park, Pascoe Vale, Pascoe Vale South and Westbreen. These areas all have their own unique histories with the south of the municipality having a long involvement with professional arts practice. In the 2001 Census, of those Moreland residents who identified their employment as artists and related professionals, 67% lived in the Brunswick area.
Arts and cultural activity play a powerful role in the enhancement of individual and community wellbeing. The ‘Moreland Municipal Public Health Plan 2003’ states that “arts, cultural and leisure activities can make a major contribution to health and wellbeing by connecting people with each other through shared experiences that strengthen community identity and build trust between people” (Health, Safety and Wellbeing: Moreland Municipal Public Health Plan, 2003). Moreland Council accepts its role as a key provider of arts and cultural opportunities for its community.
Close to Melbourne’s Central Business District and nestled between Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs, Moonee Valley combines a culturally rich community, with a valued history and natural environment within its diverse suburbs. The City’s boundaries are in part its major environmental features – the Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek, and their associated parks and reserves. These waterways, as well as Steele Creek, played a significant role in both Aboriginal life and for the early European settlers. Our streetscapes are strong features of the City. Major boulevards complement our treelined streets and neighbourhood shopping centres, quieter and greener than much of Melbourne’s middle suburbs. The strong sense of history can be seen in the many preserved older houses, shops and civic buildings. Kensington Town Hall, the Newmarket Stockyards, The Incinerator and the restored Clocktower connect us with Moonee Valley’s rich history. Queens Park is the site where Burke and Wills first stopped on their 1860 expedition and Mt Alexander Road was a major goldfields route in the 1850s.
The City of Moonee Valley offers its residents a dynamic and interesting range of arts and cultural activity, as well as programs to support artists of the Moonee Valley community. Programming highlights include the annual Moonee Valley Festival (in February) and Carols by Candlelight (in December); theatre from some of Australia’s best companies and performers at the Clocktower Centre; multi art displays, installations and performances at the Incinerator Arts Complex; and an active program to support public art throughout the municipality.
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A municipality spanning part of Port Phillip Bay, the City of Port Phillip takes in a variety of urban villages close to some of Melbourne's most popular beaches. Its urban character is marked by a richness of diversity, and features some of Victoria's most celebrated and innovative cultural events, recreational facilities, restaurants and entertainment venues. The City of Port Phillip is located on the northern shore of Port Phillip Bay, south of the Melbourne Central Business District, Victoria, Australia. The city has experienced a significant amount of residential development in the 1990s, particularly in areas close to the foreshore.
The City of Port Phillip enjoys a richness and vibrancy of arts, culture and heritage, and the council is committed to preserving and developing these features which make Port Phillip a terrific place to live, work and play. Cultural Vitality is one of the four pillars that form the city's planning framework, the others being Economic Viability, Environmental Responsibility and Social Equity. The inclusion of Cultural Vitality is an extension to what is known as the 'triple bottom line', a popular model for organisational sustainability. At the City of Port Phillip we believe that the potential rewards for organisations that integrate the cultural dimension into their planning frameworks in this way are enormous.