ABSTRACT
An agreed definition of a cultural policy is the subject of some debate. A cultural policy generally represents the views of a government or agency that is involved in the delivery of arts and cultural practice. But it can have a larger imprint in different ways, given the association between culture and identity, culture and trade, culture and education and so on. Another facet of this conversation is when is a cultural policy not a cultural policy but actually a government strategy for the arts? Further, is it a cultural policy, even if it is not stated as such, and is not overt? Importantly cultural policies should be reflective of a society as a whole and not separate from whatever is happening on the broader political stage. In this chapter we explore understandings of cultural policy and consider what, if any, cultural policies exist in the Australian context.
