We’re writing this today, on January 31st amidst a storm of activity. To say that 2023 has started off with a bang would be the understatement of the year (so far) for us, so we have chosen to document this moment now, in writing, as we find ourselves within the eye of the storm.

Any creative will know the unique and peculiar feeling of euphoria that comes with the production of one’s art. This is how we feel right now, staring down the barrel of an impending first trimester and a rolling stint at Laneway Festival around the country. We’re feeling the excited energy of our students and staff like lightning buzzing through our atmosphere. 2023 is electric. And, for the creative sector, the future's looking brighter than ever.

Yesterday the Australian Government announced its national cultural policy Revive, which over the next four years will invest about $300m into Australia’s creative sector. Described by our Prime Minister as a way to enrich the lives of all Australians “from the gallery, to the mosh pit, to your favourite reading chair”, Revive promises improved cultural and recreational experiences for all. But more importantly, it encourages all who strive for a career in the creative sector. In a sector that has defied the setbacks of a world pandemic to travel in leaps and bounds over the past several years, Revive is the jewel in the hilt of the sword forged by the perseverance of creatives across the nation. 

From our music students to our game design students and everyone in-between, we know that our graduates will be entering a workforce where opportunities are now more abundant than they have ever been. The establishment of new initiatives, including a new arts investment and advisory body Creative Australia, local content quotas for streaming services, funding injections into our rapidly developing digital entertainment industry and new legislation to crack down on fake Indigenous art, shows us that our unique position within a world of creativity has entered a new era of representation and appreciation. 

At JMC, our belief in a prosperous future for Australia’s creative sector has always been unwavering. For over forty years we have held space for our students to grow, and so to see these developments emerge amidst what is already an incredible period of change for us, as an institution, is heartening to say the least.

Up is the only direction for creatives in 2023, as it always has been and will always continue to be.

Words by Clare Neal