Australia International Cultural Council - "Australia on the World Stage"

Today I chaired the 14th meeting of the Australia International Cultural Council (AICC) which met to consider 'Australia on the World Stage', the federal government's program announced in the budget to allocate an additional $20.4 million to public diplomacy.

This injection of funds is a six-fold increase in the AICC's budget and will take Australia's cultural diplomacy and cultural export promotion to a new level.

The Council's ambitious four-year program to promote Australia's culture abroad will ensure that our cultural diplomacy remains competitive and nimble in a crowded and demanding international cultural environment.

The AICC will mount strong promotions in some key countries over the next four years, including Malaysia and France in the second half of this year and Indonesia in 2008. These promotions will strengthen and deepen ties with some of our closest neighbours.

This program underscores the important role that Australia's unique and diverse culture plays in creating a better understanding of contemporary Australian society overseas.

The Council will expand the very popular and successful Embassy Roadshow, increasing Australian feature film screenings around the world.

The Council discussed a new grants program to fund cultural activities around the world. This program will be guided by the government's cultural diplomacy objectives.

Today's meeting of the AICC was the first attended by Senator Brandis who joined representatives of the Australia Council, the Australian Film Commission, the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Austrade, and the Australia Network, along with leaders from business and the arts.

Media Inquiries: Mr Downer's office 02 6277 7500 - Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555