HOW SUBMISSIONS WILL BE USED HOW TO MAKE A SUBMISSION

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1 The Australian Government is seeking views from a wide range of people organisations and sectors on the National Cultural Policy especially on the proposed goals and strategies. You can contribute to the development of a new National Cultural Policy by making a submission. HOW SUBMISSIONS WILL BE USED Submissions will be used to help develop the new National Cultural Policy. If you agree, your submission may be displayed on this website. The Office for the Arts may make contact with you for further information or for permission to quote from your submission. HOW TO MAKE A SUBMISSION 1. Use the template as a guide to completing your submission. 2. Complete your submission and send by to culturalpolicy@pmc.gov.au Your ed submission must be sent in one attachment, as a word document or pdf which is no bigger than 10megabytes OR By post to National Cultural Policy Office for the Arts Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet PO Box 6500 Canberra ACT We will acknowledge the receipt of your submission by . If you have questions, please culturalpolicy@pmc.gov.au or call

2 SUBMISSION TEMPLATE Please use this as a guide for your submission. Name* Garry Watson Organisation National Capital Educational Tourism Project Do you agree to your submission being made publicly available on the website?* Yes No 2

3 1. About you or your organisation The National Capital Educational Tourism Project (NCETP) was established in 2000, to motivate a sustained increase in the number of school students visiting the National Capital, with the vision of establishing the National Capital as the premier educational tourism destination in Australia, and with goals reflecting the Australian Government's objectives of increasing Civic and Citizenship education around the country. The National Capital Attractions Association (NCAA) and the Australian Capital Territory Government (ACT Government) have formed a Joint Venture Agreement to manage the activities of the NCETP. The NCAA is incorporated under the Association Incorporation Act It comprises 35 members, representing most of the tourist attractions and events in the ACT and surrounding region, ranging from large national institutions to smaller privately-operated attractions. The NCETP is an exemplar which demonstrates practical collaboration, in that it provides a cooperative marketing program for attractions, so giving school students greater opportunities to expand their knowledge in relation to Civics and Citizenship. The NCETP receives in-kind and cash support from the ACT Government, the NCAA and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), and has received Australian Tourism Development Program funding, provided by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. The NCETP operates under a comprehensive strategic business plan developed and approved by the NCAA and ACT Government partners, and provides administration and promotion services for the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) under a service contract between the NCAA and DEEWR. The NCETP manages the PACER enquiry and application process, including answering requests from schools, providing applications and guidelines, receiving applications, checking eligibility, providing paperwork to schools, receiving final documentation, and preparing recommendations for approval and final correspondence to be sent to schools. Key national attractions (including the National Gallery of Australia and the National Museum of Australia) fund and host NCETP staff positions, and these key national attractions with the NCAA and the ACT Government form the NCETP Stakeholders Council, which monitors the NCETP s financial, business and marketing operations. The NCETP s extensive experience in developing engaging promotional program has been recognised through the receipt of 6 local tourism awards for marketing and 2 national awards. The NCETP has been instrumental in achieving the following: Providing a cooperative and innovative marketing program for National Capital Attractions, focussed on the schools market. Between 2000 and 2010, increasing the number of students visiting the National Capital by 43%. Between 2000 and 2010, increasing the economic impact of the schools market annually to the ACT s Gross State Product by 990%, from $10 million to $109 million, with a 47% increase occurring between 2007 and Ensuring $50 million of school excursion expenditure per annum is dispersed throughout regional communities. Creating higher percentage rises in schools visitation from destinations more distant from Canberra. Six-time winners of the Tourism Product Marketing category at the annual Canberra and Capital Region Tourism Awards. Two-time winners of the Tourism Product Marketing category at the annual Australian Tourism Awards. 3

4 2. Do you support the development of a National Cultural Policy, and why? The NCETP is highly supportive of the development of a National Cultural Policy, particularly with regard to the potential for it to assist the NCETP to encourage schools to visit the National Capital on an educational tour; and to encourage schools to visit National Attractions that provide programs focussed on Australia s democracy, history and culture. One of the four key areas of the NCETP s focus is Celebrating history, culture and identity. Canberra s National Attractions hold and share many of our nation s greatest treasures, relevant to a range of curriculum areas across the full spectrum of grades, so collectively they can be considered the pre-eminent educational destination for the schools market in Australia. The NCETP encourages and supports school students in visiting cultural attractions including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the National Film and Sound Archive, the National Library of Australia and the National Portrait Gallery, where they can see our country and people through the eyes of our artists and experience the Australian character through unique exhibitions and events that cannot be experienced the same way at a distance. A visit to the National Capital represents an opportunity to celebrate Australia s achievements, delve into our history, and reflect on our nation s international experience. More than 160,000 students visit the National Capital each year as part of an educational tour, with schools most commonly coming from regional and metropolitan New South Wales although numbers from the Northern Territory, Victoria and Western Australia have been increasing since While it is understandable that the majority of Canberra s interstate school visitors come from closer and more populous states (49.8% from New South Wales; 19.5% from Victoria), it is only through a continued and strengthened national approach to making the cost of a visit to the National Capital more equitable that school students in more distant states will be able to share the experience of a visit to their national cultural institutions, to feel a shared sense of belonging with their peers in schools closer to Canberra, and to make their way through life carrying the memory of their visit with them. Furthermore 76.9% of teachers cited in the 2010 Report on the Size and Effect of School Excursions to the National Capital (the 2010 Report) felt their students would wish to return for a leisure, tourism or family visit. Additionally, any increase in schools visitation to the National Capital brought about by the National Cultural Policy can be seen to have a direct economic benefit to regional economies, given over $50 million of school excursion expenditure per annum is dispersed throughout such communities, primarily through transport expenditure and the receipt of rebates. 4

5 3. What are your views about each of the four goals? GOAL 1: To ensure that what the Government supports and how this support is provided reflects the diversity of a 21 st century Australia, and protects and supports Indigenous culture. The NCETP strongly supports this goal, as it fundamentally believes all Australians no matter where they live should have the opportunity to participate in the cultural life of the nation. The NCETP seeks to improving access to the cultural institutions which hold much material that helps shape our identity, and believes that through being exposed to the cultural richness of the National Capital school students can return to their communities better equipped to build and shape them. One of the proposed measures of the attainment of this goal is that More Australians from diverse backgrounds and locations have the opportunity to participate in Australia s cultural life families, young people, people with disabilities, and people in regional areas. The NCETP s consistent record in encouraging and assisting young people from across Australia to learn at first hand about the nation s cultural treasurehouses is firmly in line with this goal. GOAL 2: To encourage the use of emerging technologies and new ideas that support the development of new artworks and the creative industries, and that enable more people to access and participate in arts and culture. The NCETP strongly supports this goals, as it understands new methods of communication have always changed the way Australians create, access and participate in arts and culture, and that communication innovations will continue into the future but the NCETP also firmly believes it is important for young people to have a solid understanding of the sort of material accessible in national cultural intuitions, if they are to fully benefit from the new global digital economy and engage with it from the perspective of being grounded in the unfolding history of Australian culture. While the ability to engage with collections, educational materials and exhibitions online is extremely important, nothing can replace the immediacy of sharing the same space and time as an object laden with cultural meaning, such as rare and beautiful works of art, the founding documents of our nation, Australia s first car, or portraits recording the first encounters between peoples. 5

6 GOAL 3: To support excellence and world-class endeavour, and strengthen the role that the arts play in telling Australian stories both here and overseas. The NCETP strongly supports this goal and believes it has a role to play in helping to realise all the proposed measures of the attainment of it, in that: School students visiting the National Capital often have not been to an art gallery prior to visiting the NGA, for instance, where an appreciation of artistic excellence and talent can be sparked by an encounter with a great work of art and an inspiring gallery guide. Australia's national cultural institutions are increasingly celebrated as being world-class, measureable by the growing number of schools students visiting them. Encounters with Indigenous arts, language and culture are a key part of all school visits to the National Capital. GOAL 4: To increase and strengthen the capacity of the arts to contribute to our society and economy. The NCETP is fully in agreement that a creative nation is one where education and training unleash creative talent and critical appreciation. The NCETP exists to enable more Australian school students to gain an educational experience, through visiting the National Capital, which enriches their critical capacity and prepares them for better academic achievement and for creative flexible thinking. The NCETP assists growing numbers of Australian children to experience and learn about the arts from a young age, and to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of people from other cultures who are living in Australia, through visiting national cultural institutions and being exposed to an array of experiences within them. The NCETP has conducted a 10-year longitudinal study which provides incontrovertible evidence that its role in promoting educational tourism has massively contributed to the economies of the ACT region and the communities from which it encourages school students to visit the National Capital. One proposed measure of the attainment of this goal particularly resonates with the NCETP s vision, in that the NCETP seeks to ensure, as part of their educational experience, that all school students have the opportunity to learn about the arts at first hand, through a visit to one or more of the national cultural institutions. 6

7 4. What strategies do you think we could use to achieve each of the four goals? The educational and social value of school excursions is highly regarded, with many teachers seeing school excursions, or field trips, as integral curriculum components that enhance learning outcomes. School excursions and field trips provide experiential learning opportunities (formal and informal) that enhance cognitive learning and retention by providing experiences of events, places or issues that cannot be otherwise duplicated, immersing students in a different set of cultural values, and combining leisure with a learning experience that is directed and meaningful. The NCETP liaises with many teacher associations, including the Australian Primary Principals Association, the Australian Secondary Principals Association, the History Teachers of Australia Association, the History Teachers Association of Victoria and the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. The NCETP s marketing activities include the development of teacher seminars, attendance at teacher association conferences, teacher familiarisation tours, and the production of the annual National Capital School Excursion Planner (the Planner). The NCETP has identified a number of key issues when relating to schools, including the way teachers use communication tools in distinct ways, due to the pressures of time and access they face. The NCETP uses this knowledge strategically to provide services to this unique market, including by Providing information online, via mail, fax and phone, and through the distribution of electronic information with the annual Planner, distributed to all Australian schools. Answering teacher calls from 8.30am 8.00pm, to ensure distant states can access information after school hours, and either immediately dealing with issues or calling teachers back at lunch or recess times. Providing comprehensive and helpful information through publications such as the Planner and at teacher conferences and seminars. Stressing the educational relevance of the National Capital in promotional material, and providing detailed curriculum information about each National Attraction, for teachers to use when planning excursions. The NCETP works closely with cultural institutions and attractions to offer educational experiences which encourage teachers to visit the National Capital with their students. The 2010 Report contains much data which can be used to construct strategies to address achievement of National Cultural Policy goals, including the following: While 73% of schools visiting the National Capital in 2010 were from country or regional areas and there is a significant base of schools visiting Canberra annually regional NSW and regional Victoria representing good opportunities to convert some schools visiting every two years into annual visitors through targeted marketing. Since 2007 there has been an increase in day trips (+5%) and school groups staying 1-night (+2.5%), and a corresponding decrease in 2-night (-2%) and 3-night (-7%) stays, likely due to increases in excursion costs and a lack of affordable accommodation a strategic response to this situation would be for government assistance in meeting costs and providing accommodation. Given respondents indicated 30 of the 44 attractions exceeded a benchmark for very high satisfaction, a strategic response would be to examine how to increase the number of attractions exceeding this benchmark. Given 97.3% of teachers cited in the 2010 Report said a school excursion to the National Capital contributed positively to the curriculum, while the National Capital as a school excursion destination was rated at 8.95 out of 10, a strategic response would be to focus on increasing visitor numbers as a priority, rather than attempting to increase satisfaction ratings. Given 72.9% of teachers cited in the 2010 Report stated they would consider visiting attractions if they had extended opening hours, and given the decrease in overnight stays in the amount of time schools students are able to spend in the National Capital, it would seem government assistance to enable cultural institutions to stay open longer hours could be of strategic importance. 7

8 5. How can you, your organisation or sector contribute to the goals and strategies of the National Cultural Policy? The NCETP is able to contribute to the goals and strategies of the National Cultural Policy due to its experience in providing coordinated marketing strategies and administering PACER over the course of the last decade. The NCETP has great knowledge of the schools market in Australia, has established a reputation for delivering quality service to the education market, and has developed an extensive database of teacher-contact information, allowing it to assist with all issues involved in excursion preparations. Prior to the implementation of PACER rebates to school students visiting Canberra were supplied through two separate schemes, the Education Travel Rebate (ETR) and the Citizenship Visits Program (CVP). The NCETP managed the ETR from 2001 to 2006, then efficiently and effectively managed the transition from the ETR/CVP arrangements to PACER, ensuring no schools were disadvantaged during the administrative changes. Accordingly, the NCETP is well positioned to provide strategic advice and to directly assist the Australian Government with: the effective and efficient marketing of cultural institutions throughout Australia encouraging all school students to experience Australian culture at first hand in the National Capital, thus helping them achieve a more rounded understanding of what it means to be an Australian citizen in this time of rapid economic and educational change. Due to its long-term experience the NCETP has an established infrastructure, provides a cost-effective way to promote to schools the availability of PACER, by optimising the commitment, of governments and the National Attractions in a coordinated way, and offers PACER promotion services as an integral part of its established and highly successful marketing strategy. The NCETP has demonstrated an understanding of the nature of the student visitor experience in national institutions, due to the following: The NCETP has been promoting the National Capital as an educational tourism destination for over 10 years. The NCETP works closely with cultural institutions that provide a range of education programs. The NCETP is the first point of contact for education officers in cultural institutions which wish to enhance their education programs or require assistance with teacher development programs. The NCETP conduct research every two years to chart awareness of assistance programs, customer satisfaction and student visitor demographics, to ensure it understands the changing needs of students and teachers visiting the National Capital. NCETP staff have worked in cultural institutions, so understand all aspects of the student visitor experience, and how cultural institutions respond to teachers and students. An increase since 2007 of about 6% in interstate school children visiting the National Capital provides evidence of the NCETP s ability to encourage schools visitation to cultural institutions, even during times of economic slowdown in the global economy. The growing number of school children experiencing the richness of Australian cultural intuitions increases in importance when it is considered that research shows repeat family visitation follows a positive school excursion experience. The National Capital is an essential and important place to visit for schools from regional, remote or disadvantaged areas, evidenced by the following selection of teachers comments recorded in 2010: Being rurally isolated, we don t have access to such facilities where we live. As a teacher there is just so much to take back to share with the class. A fantastic place. Nothing helps as much as seeing things as the experience is enormous for my country students. I can teach this material from my classroom but visiting Canberra and experiencing the venues first hand, allowing my deaf students to connect with places in a visual way, it was essential that that link was made to consolidate learning. In line with the strategies outlined at Goal 1 of the discussion paper, the NCETP will continue to: work with arts organisations, cultural partners and local authorities to identify and build audiences, particularly in places where engagement in the arts is low; and to encourage national cultural institutions to broaden their activities to reach and resonate with a broader audience. 8

9 The NCETP would welcome a boost in government support for its activities, to enable it to continue to increase the engagement of school students across Australia in the arts, irrespective of their socioeconomic or educational background or their geographic location. In line with the strategies outlined at Goal 2, the NCETP will continue to assist national cultural institutions in identifying markets, and both stimulating and meeting demand. In line with the strategies outlined at Goal 3, the NCETP will continue to promote excellence and encourage world-class standards in Australia s national cultural institutions. The NCETP would welcome the opportunity to provide incentives to national cultural institutions, perhaps by administering a new source of funding made available directly to institutions (based on the numbers of school students visiting them per annum), to enable the institutions to greater realise their potential by opening longer hours and employing more educators to engage with visiting students. In line with the strategies outlined at Goal 3, the NCETP will continue to contribute strongly to the aspiration of better connecting what Australia is doing in the arts with the Government s education revolution, through its encouragement of the engagement and involvement of all Australian school students with the arts and creativity. 9

10 6 Are there any other goals you would like to see included in the National Cultural Policy? Given 160,000 school students visited the National Capital in 2010, an increase of 43% since 2000, a practical aspiration would be to increase school student visitor numbers a further 21% to 200,000, by Given in 2010, 37% of teachers cited in the 2010 Report indicated Art and Culture was their school s main reasons for a visit to the National Capital, an aspirational goal of the National Cultural Policy, and a measure of its success, might be to lift this number to 50%, by Given in 2010, 88.8% of teachers cited in the 2010 Report stated Canberra s attractions represent Australian Culture (compared with 83.4% in 2007), an aspirational goal of the National Cultural Policy, and a measure of its success, might be to lift this number 1% per annum, until Given in 2010, 84.3% of teachers cited in the 2010 Report stated undertaking a visit or program at National Cultural institutions assisted their students in understanding our diverse society, an aspirational goal of the National Cultural Policy, and a measure of its success, might be to lift this number 1% per annum, until