Creative industries

The 2018 Strategy recognised creative industries as an emerging and vital sector, with opportunities across visual and performing arts, literature, music, design, film, fashion, and digital games to strengthen relationships, drive commercial value, build audiences and develop careers.

Victoria has strengthened business links in screen and games exchanges, supported creative and cultural collaborations, and increased attendances at major platform exhibitions and events. This has included, among others:

Melbourne Museum presented two exclusive exhibitions in partnership with Indian cultural institutions: Sutr Santati: Then, Now. Next - stories of India woven in thread; and Mahatma Gandhi: An Immigrant, while the National Gallery of Victoria presented Transforming Worlds: Change and Tradition in Contemporary India.
Victoria partnered with the Commonwealth to showcase Victorian creatives in Australia Fest in India, including film, literature, children’s theatre, music and comedy, reaching an audience of more than 2 million.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival routinely features Indian performers through its Melbourne festival and regional tours. In addition, the Asia Triennial of Performing Arts and the Sangam Festival of Performing Arts of South Asia both provide platforms for Victorian and Indian artists to work together and reach new local and international audiences.

With 450 million online gamers in India, and over 130 digital game studios in Victoria, Victoria welcomed the first inbound digital games mission to Melbourne International Games Week. Demonstrating our complementarity, Global Victoria and Creative Victoria then led a virtual delegation to the Indian Game Developers Conference.

What's the opportunity

Further investment and coordination can help to continue to foster and develop connections across the creative industries. Expanding artist and creative agency networks, and the promotion of the screen sector to Indian film makers, producers and studios, would help to embed those connections between artists and community.

Linking Victorian expertise across the design spectrum with Indian interests will be a future area of interest and focus to explore. Victoria is committed to continuously showcasing our rich histories and cultures across all creative industries and art forms.

Case Studies

IFFM is designed to strengthen ties between the Indian film industry and Victoria. Since 2012, in-person and digital festivals presented more than 850 films in almost 30 different languages. The IFFM has reached 250,000 people in person and further 550,000 online.
As the largest annual celebration of Indian cinema outside India, IFFM fosters cultural exchange and offers diverse cinematic experiences. It serves as a bridge between the Indian film industry and global audiences, facilitating dialogue on cinematic techniques and cultural influences. It has brought major Bollywood stars and directors to Victoria, including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Yash Chopra, Ram Charan and, AR Rahman.
In 2024, IFFM included the world premiere of 'My Melbourne’, a feature of four stories made in collaboration between Australian creative filmmakers and acclaimed Indian directors Onir, Imtiaz Ali, Rima Das, and Kabir Khan. The four filmmakers worked with emerging Australian creatives from underrepresented backgrounds to create four films about identity and belonging, based on authentic migrant experiences. This production demonstrates collaboration between the Australian and South Asian film industries.
Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, remarked, 'For 15 years, IFFM has set Melbourne alight with all the colour and intensity of India’s rich film industry... I, along with the people of Victoria, am delighted that the IFFM continues to go from strength to strength.'
Through these efforts, supported by the Victorian Government, IFFM continues to celebrate diverse cultures and perspectives through cinema.
Arts Centre Melbourne’s triennial Asia-Pacific performance festival, Asia TOPA, is led by Indian Australian Creative Director Jeff Khan. The 2025 program will spotlight contemporary Indian artists, including a seven-day activation at Federation Square by Delhi-based multidisciplinary artists, Thukral and Tagra.
Asia TOPA is cultivating a long-term partnership with Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, India. Creative Victoria's multi-year investment has been instrumental in securing a Centre for Australia India Relations Maitri Cultural Partnerships Grant, pivotal in deepening collaboration between the two festivals. This ongoing relationship not only benefits artists and audiences, but also strengthens ties within diaspora communities, enhancing cultural understanding.
Sangam is the visionary leading platform for South Asian artistic excellence, fostering self-determined practices, partnerships, and deep engagements between Victoria and India. At its core, Sangam focuses diaspora-led creative and cultural initiatives.
Co-founded by Dr. Priya Srinivasan (Artistic Director), Hari Sivanesan and Uthra Vijay in 2019, Sangam has provided opportunities for over 400 artists, presenting 25 new Australian works and over 60 presentations to more than 150,000 people. Supported by Insite Arts, Sangam engages diverse marginal, multigenerational, artists and audiences in developing new works, research, and dialogues.
Sangam has established strong collaborative partnerships with key Victorian and Indian institutions that led to "The Durga Chronicles," a dance-theatre work addressing gendered violence, which won the 2023 “Breaking Ground” Green Room Award.
Through initiatives like Sangam Labs, Victoria has facilitated vital artistic exchanges and leadership dialogues between Victorian and Indian artists online, in Melbourne and in Bengaluru enriching cultural ties and fostering innovative collaborations.

Updated 17 September 2024