ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/9/2005 10 March 2005
Australia to showcase contemporary culture in India
The Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Alexander Downer MP, has announced a series of major cultural promotions in several countries, including India, to showcase Australia's contemporary culture internationally.
The programs, which will include performing and visual arts, will be held in varous cities of India as well as in Singapore, Britain, France, Malaysia, the US, Indonesia, China and Germany.
"We hope the India program will help broaden India's appreciation of Australian culture. India's ancient and vibrant cultures are an inspiration to many Australian artists and we hope that Indians will also be inspired by the high quality programs we are planning," said Mr John Fisher, Head of Public Affairs, Australian High Commission. The cultural promotions in India will start in July 2006 and will be held through to 2007, he added.
A meeting of the Australia International Cultural Council (AICC) in Adelaide recently agreed to the promotions to showcase the quality and diversity of Australian culture in major partner countries.
The Australia International Cultural Council was established in 1998 to promote Australia and its cultural assets overseas. The Council supports a touring package of Australian films. Part of that package, Australian Visions: a Festival of Acclaimed Films, was shown in New Delhi and Kolkata last month where it received a warm response.
For further information, please contact Mr John Fisher, tel. 91 11 51399997.