Creative Indigo 2023-2027

Dancers in a laneway with arms outstretched

At its March 2023 meeting, Council adopted a new arts and culture strategy, Creative Indigo 2023-2027, to promote creativity, innovation, and community engagement throughout our region.

Council understands that creativity is a crucial component of building resilient, vibrant communities which is why we made a commitment to support our creative communities in our 2021 - 2025 Council Plan with a key action to develop an Arts Strategy for Indigo Shire.

About the strategy

Our lives are enriched by arts and culture. They are an integral part of our stories, create a sense of belonging, and broaden our understanding of the world. Through arts and culture, we can explore new ideas and ways of thinking, and develop our capacity to tackle the challenges we face, creating the future we envision for our region.

In the Creative Indigo Strategy, we have articulated our collective vision for the cultural life of the Shire. This strategic plan will guide the allocation of Council resources and efforts, identifying key priorities for the next five years.

We recognise the numerous benefits a thriving creative community delivers to our region - from improved health and wellbeing, to increased economic and cultural opportunities. Indigo is fortunate to be home to a diverse and vibrant community of artists and cultural practitioners, and this strategy aims to support their growth and success, unlocking the creative potential of our region.

Our vision:

Indigo Shire is one of Victoria's critical creative hubs, where arts are embedded in the way we do things and used to improve the lives of everyone. 

Download the Creative Indigo 2023-2027 Strategy(PDF, 5MB)

Tracking our success

A strategy provides a roadmap for success. Testing ideas and exploring new initiatives are vital components of our five-year Creative Indigo strategy. We will measure progress towards our three core objectives each year and report on it. This information will be used to refine and review an Action Plan and our community will have the opportunity to provide feedback on our progress and suggest improvements throughout the strategy's lifespan.

To ensure the strategy's success, we will update the Action Plan annually to respond to new opportunities and developments. Workforce planning will provide appropriate resources to support the strategy's implementation. We will collect ongoing feedback from the creative sector through regular engagement activities throughout the year.

The Creative Indigo Steering Committee will meet every six months to provide strategic input and review progress. We will publish progress reports that track our progress on the three outcomes and inform the amendments to the Action Plan.

As the strategy nears the end of its life, we will evaluate its impact and use the findings to inform the development of the next strategy. Through ongoing review and evaluation, we will ensure that the Creative Indigo strategy remains relevant and effective, enabling our communities to thrive creatively.

We're excited to see the amazing ideas and projects that emerge from the Creative Indigo strategy, and we invite all our residents and businesses to join us in this exciting new initiative. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to develop and implement this innovative strategy.