Annual report

Outcomes of activities undertaken through the Arts and Heritage Levy are reported to council on an annual basis. As outlined in the Annual report (OM25/97, Appendix A: Arts and Heritage Levy), the Arts and Heritage Levy enabled Council to deliver a suite of programs to achieve the outcomes articulated in the Sunshine Coast Creative Arts Plan 2023-2038 and the Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031.

The 2024-25 Arts Program, with a contribution of $936,552 from the Arts and Heritage Levy, provided:

$80,158 to First Nations creative arts programs
- 6 First Nations events delivered featuring 155 First Nations artists attracting 4,000 attendees.
- 2 First Nations visual art exhibitions at Caloundra Regional Gallery attracting 6,000 visitors with 95% satisfied to very satisfied.
- 164 First Nations participants in development programs.
$150,000 to support a competitive Creative Industries Investment Program
- IN | artist run initiative – IN | SITE Program at the Old Lock Up, Maroochydore.
- Munimba-ja – Blak Creatives: Indigenous led professional development opportunities embedding cultural safety to support First Nations artistic endeavours on the Sunshine Coast.
- Sunshine Coast Chamber Festival.
- Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance’s annual creative development program.
- Eumundi School of Rock
- Red Chair - The Compass Project.
- The Old Ambo - TAKEOVER Project.
- Anywhere Festival.
- Sunshine Coast Film Festival.
- Arts Connect Inc. - Open Studios Sunshine Coast
$58,313 to Creative Spaces
- In 2024-25 12 artist residencies were delivered that supported 190 artists.
- Each residency culminated in a public showing, with a total of 179 attendees; offering valuable opportunities for artists to share works-in progress, engage audiences and build visibility for their practice.
$70,000 to support the development of a culture of arts philanthropy in the region
$63,320 to Sponsorship and Fundraising support
$55,000 to creative business development
- Supported delivery of the Refinery Creative Incubator – a 10-week intensive program engaging 30 industry leaders and creatives as mentors, facilitators and presenters.
$104,371 for ArtsCoast audience development
$155,048 to the Horizon Festival
- Audience of 21,837, of which 58% were first time visitors, attended over 211 events and activities across 10 locations, with 89% rating their experience as good to excellent.
- Featured 557 artists and arts workers, of which 428 were Sunshine Coast-based.
- Attracted over 30% of attendees from outside the region contributing $1,439,316 in economic impact.
- 169 media stories with a reach of 4 million people and value of $337,000
$44,250 to Arts Levy Futures Fund
$156,092 Cultural Olympiad Restricted Fund

The 2024-25 Heritage Program, with a total contribution of $2,207,664 ($2,185,290 from the Arts and Heritage Levy plus $22,374 revenue from sales and donations), provided outcomes including:

$96,793 in Knowledge projects including:
- The Historian in Residence program, with two research topics: “Iconic Pubs that shaped the Sunshine Coast”; and “Bounce, sprint, spirit: three stories of Sunshine Coast sport history”
- Completion of the digitisation of the photographer Bill Robinson collection of over 20,000 images held by the Heritage Library. Documenting the Sunshine Coast’s cultural and social history, and the natural and built environment, from the 1950s until Bill’s retirement in 1984.
$201,270 for Conservation initiatives including:
- Restoration, preservation, and collection management projects at Bankfoot House Heritage Precinct and Landsborough Museum.
- Activation at Council’s heritage facilities through diverse programming, with highlights including: the annual First Nations Family Fun Day at Bankfoot House; the Landsborough Street Festival; and new sporting display ‘Bounce! A Grassroots to Glory Exhibition’, part of an ongoing series leading up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
$338,405 for Support programs including:
- More than $175,000 in grants which supported 11 heritage projects and operational support of 14 organisations.
- Museums and heritage organisations who received further support through training, strategic partnerships, and targeted workshops covering a wide range of topics.
$189,200 for Communication projects including:
- Several interpretive projects and digital stories were delivered and are online.
- Support for tertiary students and early-career heritage professionals through annual UniSC Cultural Heritage Prizes (4), and 2 internship positions through Council’s My Summer Workplace Program.
$545,911 in Advocacy and Management activities including:
- The provision of expert advice for a number of heritage listed places and projects including capital projects at Landsborough Museum, Conservation Management Plans for Mooloolah, Buderim and Yandina Cemeteries, Fairview (Maleny), and Kings Beach Pavilion.
$87,600 for Built Heritage Conservation Fund initiatives, for council owned, community leased, local or state heritage listed places.
$748,485 to the Heritage Futures Fund, an accumulative allocation to fund the delivery of heritage infrastructure projects as identified in Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031, Interpretive Space and Collection Store Feasibility Report, and the Regional Arts Infrastructure Framework.

The Arts and Heritage Levy significantly enhances Council’s ability to support arts and cultural heritage outcomes in the community, through mentoring and development initiatives, programs, events, and targeted projects. Council recognises the important role that both sectors and industries play in shaping and influencing our sense of community, belonging, cultural vitality and identity in a time of unprecedented growth and change.

Since 2024-25, the Arts and Heritage Levy Report is incorporated into Council’s Annual Report. View past Arts and Heritage Levy annual reports:

Watch the Sunshine Coast Cultural Heritage Discovery video.