‘They need to know that it’s theirs’: considerations for policy and practice when developing a public art trail in remote communities

Abstract

Of the variety of ways governments, organisations and artists are embedding art and culture within rural tourism strategy, public art trails have emerged as a popular form and approach. However, rural and remote local governments face challenges in realising possible benefits of arts tourism for their communities. This article takes remote northern Australia art tourism initiative, the Savannah Way Art Trail, as a case study to consider principles for successfully connecting public art trails with tourism in remote communities. Processes of delivering the Savannah Way Art Trail are framed and discussed under three themes: 1) local government capacity and relationships; 2) listening to locals; and 3) the ‘art’ of creating and managing remote art trails. These themes are considered as recommendations that can provide ways to enact cultural policy in practice in remote communities, and opportunities for extending the potential for art trails to reflect and benefit those communities.