Creative Arts win to drive Sunshine Coast growth

The Sunshine Coast will see an increase in creative initiatives aimed at driving sector innovation and sustainability, backed by strategic partnerships including through the Queensland State Government (Arts Queensland).

Sunshine Coast Creative Arts Alliance (SCCA), the peak organisation for the arts and creative industries on the Sunshine Coast, announced The Refinery, its highly successful creative incubator program will evolve into a year round program of initiatives focused on the intersection of art, technology, environment and design.

“Over the past 5 years, as a 10-week program The Refinery has supported 76 creatives to focus on their practice and business development to enable them to enhance their profile, productivity, connectivity and viability,” SCCA President Megan Williams said.

The expansion has been made possible under an Arts Queensland’s Strategic Partnerships ‘Grow 2022-2026’ Fund, the second action plan supporting Creative Together 2020-2030: A 10-Year Roadmap for arts, culture and creativity in Queensland.

“We will receive $257,600 over two years for our expansion and up to $90,000 over two years for a paid industry placement,” Megan Williams said.

Alongside Arts Queensland and foundation partners, Sunshine Coast Council and SunCentral Maroochydore, The Refinery has also welcomed The University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) as a partner.

Leah Barclay, Discipline Lead of Design, School of Business and Creative Industries at UniSC said the University welcomed the opportunity to support The Refinery to nurture a pipeline of technologically engaged creative practitioners ready for new markets and audiences.

“By extending access to UniSC’s advanced technological resources including the Maker Space, an MIT-accredited Fab Lab and the CAVE2, The Refinery is unique in its capacity to facilitate practitioners to significantly enhance their creative capabilities and contribute to building the region’s creative capacity,” Leah Barclay said.

Megan Rowland, Creative Director, Creative Arts, Sunshine Coast Council said in the last five years, the Sunshine Coast creative sector had expanded rapidly, and The Refinery incubator program was central to this growth.

“It’s the right time to take a more sophisticated approach to positioning the region’s arts sector nationally in the run-up to the 2032 Olympic Games,” Megan Rowland said.

SunCentral Maroochydore CEO Amanda Yeates said building a strong, vibrant and sustainable creative sector was crucial as the region experienced rapid growth.

“The Sunshine Coast has one of the fastest-growing regional economies currently valued at $21 billion. The new Maroochydore City Centre we are building has already attracted major tech companies due to its advanced infrastructure, including the undersea broadband cable. Together with the expansion of the health precinct, and the international airport, the Sunshine Coast has strong fundamentals for growth as we move toward the 2032 Olympics,” Amanda Yeates said.

SCCA President Megan Williams added, “Technology is changing audiences’ expectations. It is also transforming art forms and creating opportunities. We are focused on growing the capacity of creatives to engage, navigate and adapt to technology which is vital to their sustainability and will ensure our region doesn’t fall behind.”