AFTER extensive community engagement Redland City Council has adopted a 10-year cultural plan “Our City Our Culture: A Cultural Plan for the Redlands 2008 -2018”.

The plan outlines council’s priorities in nurturing a robust and vital local culture as part of its mission for local sustainability.

Council worked in partnership with local creative thinkers, practitioners and community groups to achieve the vision of “Our City Our Culture”, with surveys and focus groups playing an important role in the plan’s development.

Support for the arts and heritage are central themes of the plan, which provides a blueprint for building on local cultural assets such as the Redland Performing Arts Centre, council libraries and art galleries, and festivals and events.

It outlines key initiatives and priorities, allocating short, medium and long-term timeframes for each.

Redland City Mayor Melva Hobson said she was confident “Our City Our Culture” would nurture an authentic, vital and dynamic culture for all Redland residents.

“I urge all residents, and particularly those with creative skills and cultural industry connections, to join with council in making this new vision a reality,” she said.

“I recently had the pleasure of launching the premiere of a short film about Macleay Island, It Never did Sink.

“This project is a perfect example of the sense of social cohesion that can be achieved when a small community comes together in a creative pursuit.”

Spearheaded by celebrated writer, photographer, and cultural researcher Chris Dew, whose Bay Views digital stories project is commissioned by council, It Never Did Sink brought together the animation skills of Dave Jones and memories of long-standing residents, with input from local school students.

An early priority of the cultural plan is to establish a creative community alliance to strengthen partnerships within the local cultural sector.

“The alliance will play a key advisory role in relation to creative activities in next year’s city-wide community planning exercise.

“I urge anyone with an interest in the arts, heritage and wider cultural issues to nominate for the alliance using the registration-of-interest form on council’s website by August 29,” Cr Hobson said.

Those interested can also download a copy of “Our City Our Culture” from www.redland.qld.gov.au.

For hard copies of “Our City Our Culture” and the creative community alliance registration-of-interest forms, phone 3829 8563.