Your cart is empty.
Your cart is empty.
The pursuit of equity and diversity is about improving conditions and addressing systems to create equal justice and opportunity for everyone. The diversity of Australia, and South Australia, is one of its greatest strengths. However, social forces can disadvantage groups such as women, immigrants, LGBTIQA+ people, people living with a disability and other groups.
The Department of Human Services is the lead agency responsible for promoting inclusion across all South Australian Government agencies and the wider community and has a key role in supporting independence and participation for individuals, families and communities.
Importantly, the Malinauskas Government has intertwined the concept of inclusiveness into its South Australian Economic Statement, including the clear position that ‘An inclusive economy puts South Australians and their wellbeing front and centre. It recognises that inequality constrains economic growth, and that social inclusion and economic success go hand-in-hand.’
Research suggests exposure to people, stories and cultures, including through arts and culture activities, can help reduce and contribute to the elimination of racist, sexist, heterosexist, ableist and other negative views.
Adelaide’s festivals provide an open and inclusive opportunity to celebrate diversity and encourage social inclusion within South Australia. Festivals provide a unique platform through which to reach and celebrate particular populations, from immigrants and indigenous groups, or particular age groups, such as children at the DreamBIG Festival and both younger and older demographics at the History Festival. Similarly, cultural festivals such as WOMADelaide and OzAsia were established with the goal of presenting a wider range of international artists from around the world to a festival audience, enhancing the cultural diversity of Adelaide’s festival offerings. These festivals can thus be used as a vehicle for cultural diplomacy, by building cross-cultural knowledge and understanding among South Australians.
In this way, our state’s festivals may also help to build social cohesion within South Australia by adding to the state’s stock of ‘social capital’, or the social links which exist between otherwise unrelated groups and individuals within a community. The festivals help to build this capital, by welcoming diverse groups into public spaces together. Feast Festival, for example, brings together members of the LGBTIQA+ community and allies at its events throughout November.
