In Boroondara, we’re proud to make art accessible and part of everyday life for our community. Our program of exhibitions and related events attracts over 15,000 people each year.

We present artworks and exhibitions at the Town Hall Gallery at Hawthorn Arts Centre, in Council buildings and libraries, our gardens and other public spaces.

Our exhibition program is a platform for sharing community stories, fostering creative expression and supporting local artists. The exhibitions we present can create moments of enjoyment and learning, invite new perspectives, inspire social connection and spark ideas for those who see and experience them.

We've created our Exhibition Policy and it provides a framework for how we develop exhibitions and display artworks in Council owned and managed buildings, facilities and public spaces. We invited your feedback on the draft policy during community consultation.

The final policy was adopted by Councillors at a public Services Delegated Committee meeting which was held on Monday 8 September 2025.

View the adopted policy

Boroondara Exhibition Policy (PDF 244KB)

Community consultation

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback.

We invited you to share your thoughts on our draft policy for how we develop exhibitions and display artworks in Council-owned and managed buildings, facilities and public spaces.

We aimed to engage residents, artists, arts educators and visitors to our exhibition spaces.

Who we heard from

A total of 96 people provided feedback on the policy through survey responses, drop-in sessions with our curators and written feedback.

• 93% of participants lived in Boroondara
• More than half of participants identified as artists (61%)
• Most participants visited exhibitions at Town Hall Gallery (84%)
• We heard from all age groups.

What we heard

Most participants responded positively to the draft policy, its principles and measures for exhibiting sensitive content.

There was community endorsement of the policy’s direction, its focus on inclusivity, artistic freedom and support for emerging and community-based artists.

Majority of community feedback and responses noted:

• strong support for the policy’s inclusive and artist-centred approach
• support of current measures to manage sensitive content while supporting artistic freedom
• support for inclusive programming and exhibitions that reflect diverse perspectives and encourage shared experiences.

We also heard:

• requests for clearer definitions of terms such as ‘community standards’ and ‘social responsibility’
• suggestions to strengthen representation of underrepresented groups, including women, First Nations artists and people with disability.

How community feedback shaped the final policy

Clearer language

You told us terms like ‘community standards’ and ‘social responsibility’ needed clearer definitions. There were concerns these terms were vague, subjective and could undermine transparency in decision-making – so we’ve replaced them.

Our final policy uses more precise language reflected in the policy statement (section 4) and policy principles (section 4.1).

Focus on community connection and inclusion

Your feedback highlighted strong support for inclusive programming and the value of exhibitions that reflect diverse perspectives. In response, our final policy more explicitly supports the arts as a means of building mutual understanding and a sense of belonging.

We’ve also refined guiding principle (4.1.6) to emphasise the importance of cultural authority in representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories and perspectives.

Frequently asked questions