Creative industries in the tropics: reflections on creativity and north-eastern Australia as place

This paper explores the concept of creativity and place as relevant to Cairns and Townsville in northeastern Australia. These two provincial cities are key to the economic and population growth of northern Australia and as such are the focus of renewed interest from all levels of government. While the creative industries sector in each location is significant, to date there has been no research specifically exploring the views of industry participants in terms of the creative strengths, impediments and opportunities across the region. Interviews with 38 creative industries participants were completed, revealing the significant benefits and challenges associated with being located in a remote tropical environment where the concept of place is strong. The interviews also reveal a number of potential growth strategies for the sector in each location that have the potential to inform policy and urban development approaches not only in the tropical north of Australia but also more broadly across the country. That is, the findings provide further evidence in support of the need for ongoing research into the particular contributions of regional and rural cities to the global creative economy