Cultural Compass

A tool for decision makers to consider their decisions on culture.

Posted by Trish Hansen on June, 22, 2021

Last updated: June, 25, 2026

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Overview

The Cultural Compass is a tool for decision makers to consider the impact of any decision on culture.

Why use it?

Culture is intangible - which means it can be difficult to fully understand and consider in the context of complex decisions.

The Cultural Compass was developed originally to support Elected Municipal Officials to consider the impact of their decisions on culture, as the decisions made by municipalities often impact significantly and sometimes negatively on the creative and cultural life of residents and businesses.

The tool presents questions for decision makers to consider the impact of decisions on values, peoples sense of connection to each other, place and nature, interaction, 'the vibe' of places and cultural resilience.

Who is it for?

Any decision makers - particularly Elected Members/ Politicians, Municipal Leaders, Policy makers, Systems designers, Place consultants, Property developers

How long does it take?

A few minutes - at a glance.

How many people is it for?

For individual contemplation or teams - such as Elected Member bodies

What materials do you need?

Ideally - one compass per participant.

What does the facilitator need to know or be able to do?

Basic knowledge of arts, culture and place is helpful - but the magic is in the participants engagement with the questions and the emerging discussion.

Acknowledgements

Inspired through contributing to the Cultural Impact Guide developed by the South Australian Creative Communities Network with the support of the Local Government Association in South Australia.