---
title: "Cultural Strategy: How Sydney plans to retain creative talent and diversify cultural leadership"
date: 2025-10-13T00:51:01Z
modified: 2025-10-21T14:44:47Z
permalink: "https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/city-project/sydney-cultural-strategy-2025-2035/"
type: city-project
status: publish
excerpt: Launched in 2025, Cultural Strategy 2025–2035 is Sydney’s roadmap to rebuild and reimagine its cultural life post-pandemic and amid rising living costs. Backed by AUD 2 million annually in new grants programs, the strategy provides direct income support for artists, secures creative workspaces, and expands leadership opportunities for underrepresented groups. With plans for a Creative Land Trust and a strong equity focus, the strategy aims to grow cultural participation, retain talent, and ensure culture thrives across every part of the city.
wpid: 175024
tags:
  - affordable creative space
  - city cultural budget
  - Creative Land Trust
  - Cultural diversity
  - cultural leadership
  - Sydney Cultural Strategy 2025-2035
  - Sydney
  - Australia
  - Oceania
  - Affordable Space
  - Leadership
region:
  - Sydney
country:
  - Australia
city-region:
  - Oceania
topic:
  - Affordable Space
  - Leadership
featured_image: "https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1a-Sydney-Cultural-Strate.jpg"
timestamp: 2025-10-21T14:44:47Z
---

## Project: Committing AUD 2 million a year for programmes that retain, rebuild and reimagine Sydney’s cultural sector



![](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1b-Sydney-Cultural-Strateg-1024x683.jpg)

Artist Kelly Dooley in her City of Sydney Live/Work studio – Photographer: Katherine Griffiths **©** City of SydneyBuilding upon the successful delivery of Sydney’s _Creative City Action Plan_ and responding to a renewed community vision for Sydney in 2050, the City of Sydney developed a revised roadmap for supporting culture. Their _Cultural Strategy 2025-2035_ is a practical path for realising the community’s ambition for a ‘thriving cultural life’, while responding to the current issue of global inflation, and post-pandemic pressures facing culture. Based on extensive research into the creative industries and community participation in culture, coupled with deep consultation with the creative sector, this strategy commits AUD 2 million a year to new programmes that retain, rebuild and reimagine the cultural sector in Sydney.

![](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1c-Sydney-Cultural-Strateg-1024x682.jpg)

An artist’s studio in Sydney – Photographer: Chris Southwood **©** City of Sydney## Retaining creative talent and creating affordable art spaces

Sydney is home to the largest creative workforce in Australia, and creativity has been key to Sydney’s economic strength. However, the high cost of living and unaffordable housing market is reducing the number of artists who can call Sydney home. Likewise, the commercial property market is pricing out artist studios, music venues, and independent creative spaces. In the decade to 2022, Sydney lost 12% of its artist population and more than 170,000 square metres of commercial floorspace dedicated to creative industries. As part of the new strategy, a partnership between the City and State Government is investing in determining the feasibility of a Creative Land Trust in Sydney, with commitments from both levels of government to dedicate a property to a feasible local model.

As cultural experiences become more expensive, and household budgets more restricted, participation in the city’s cultural life is increasingly shaped by socio-economic background, leading to higher levels of disconnection and dissatisfaction among parts of the community, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culturally diverse groups, and those on lower incomes.

Sydney’s _Cultural Strategy 2025-2035_ sets out to retain existing talent and venues, rebuild what has been lost, and reimagine the city’s cultural life as inclusive, equitable, inspiring and thriving.

![](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1a-Sydney-Cultural-Strate-1024x713.jpg)

Cover of the Cultural Strategy 2025-2035 **©** City of Sydney## Dedicated cultural funding to diversify cultural leadership

In the first three years, funding will be provided directly to artists to offset cost-of-living pressures so they can continue to live and work in Sydney. A new funding programme will invest in the establishment of new cultural production spaces and the maintenance of existing venues.

As the strategy continues, the funding focus will shift towards resourcing diversity in leadership positions within the local cultural sector, including dedicated funding for the wrap-around services that are essential to supporting a more diverse workforce. A cultural leadership program will support key contributors to the city’s cultural life to explore professional development opportunities, personal resilience and improved wellbeing.

Starting in 2025, impact will be measured through four strategic areas: increased satisfaction with access to culture for priority communities, a return to growth in the creative workforce, growth in creative industries workspace, and high levels of creative participation across all demographic groups.

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