Our Purpose
Our purpose is to promote the arts across the veteran community, to enhance veterans’ wellbeing through the arts and to share stories of our serving members, veterans and their families.
Vision
ANVAM’s vision is to elevate the arts and associated benefits across the veteran community by establishing a national cultural institution, centre for wellbeing and home for veterans arts in the unused former Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic at 310 St Kilda Road, Southbank.
As the southern gateway to the Melbourne Arts precinct, and opposite the Shrine of Remembrance, the property is synonymous with veterans’ wellbeing and a sacred place. 310 St Kilda Road will be an inclusive hub promoting wellness.
Dimensions
The Dimensions of the veteran community include Community & Social-Connection, Culture & Identity, creative & Innovation, History & Heritage and Health & Wellbeing. Leveraging these Dimensions and the arts, ANVAM has developed a dynamic Systems Approach to supporting the whole-of-life wellbeing of the veteran community.
Showcasing stories of the unique lived experiences during and post-service through thoughtfully constructed and inclusive exhibitions and performances opens a pathway for new participants into ANVAM’s programs, while educating the broader community about service.
Community & Connection
The Australian veteran community is diverse but with the shared connection of service. The arts offer a vibrant channel of communication, bridging diversity and building a community connected through creativity.
Culture & Identity
The culture & identity of the veteran community is unique within Australia; the arts offer this community a universal medium to express identity, shape veteran culture and public perception.
Creativity & Innovation
Creativity & innovation are fundamental to the arts. Individual arts practice, nurtured and shared, can bring this dynamism into other areas of veterans’ lives, and thereby into their broader community.
History & Heritage
In more than 100 years of arts engagement veteran artists have created a history & heritage from which contemporary veterans draw inspiration. The history & heritage of veterans’ arts has helped shape Australia’s cultural identity.
Health & Wellbeing
Arts engagement has long held a role in health & wellbeing, particularly for convalescing veterans, nourishing a sense of wellbeing and agency. World Health Organisation evidence recognises the arts in preventing poor mental health outcomes, while supporting recovery and rehabilitation.
Systems Approach
The dimensions for the wellbeing of the veteran community are part of ANVAM’s Systems Approach, of which the core systems are the arts, place and community.
ANVAM’s Systems Approach to the wellbeing of the veteran community is dynamic and multi-faceted. Enabled and/or enhanced by these systems, are the supporting systems that include policy, volunteering/employment, prevention, early intervention, inclusion, validation, purpose, identity, whole-of-life, partnerships, lived experience and capability.