Cultural capitals: Canberra

Australia’s largest inland city is home to a diverse mix of government workers, academics, students, and creative professionals. Combined, they are ​among the country’s most well educated and highest earning people, and have the highest attendance rate for arts and culture in Australia.

From attending a jazz festival to an experimental arts festival, and visiting the National Portrait Gallery to an independent gallery space, Canberrans feel confident that they are making a real contribution to the city’s cultural fertility. But despite the diversity of residents and arts activities, one of the major challenges in fostering arts and culture in Canberra is battling the belief that the national capital needs to ‘be more like Melbourne, more like Sydney, less like Canberra,’ said Vanessa Wright Managing Producer, You Are Here festival.