Multi Is My Culture': Critical Reflections on Multicultural Arts in Tropical Australia

Australia is known as a multicultural country with over 40 percent of its population being either an immigrant or the child of an immigrant. Tropical Australia is unique in its landscapes, psyches and cultures. It is also a place of cultural diversity, with some areas where people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds make up to 15 percent of the population. When people migrate, they bring along their cultures- reflected in language, poetry, music, fine arts and other creative mediums. The settlement process of immigrants in complex and multidimensional. The transplantation of multicultural arts in host society poses challenges and opportunities. This paper explores some of the key issues in multicultural arts in Tropical Australia. Particularly the policy context, recognition and display of multicultural art and role of artists in communities will be examined.