Abstract
Deindustrialising cities worldwide are facing considerable social and economic difficulties, which challenge local identity and the bases of community solidarity. Historically, the expressive arts have provided incisive commentaries on such change; however, deindustrialisation strategies are now being developed that include cultural programs as a way of minimising negative local reactions. There has been little academic analysis of this emerging arts/industry nexus or its relationship to local communities and arts agendas. In 1999. BHP closed its steelworks in the New South Wales city of Newcastle. Central to the process of closure was the Ribbons of Steel festival, funded in part by the Australia Council and held on the BHP site. This paper examines Ribbons of Steel to explore the role it played in framing discourses of closure and city reimaging. The paper also illuminates the power relations underpinning the event, providing insights into the shifting relationship between industry, creative expression and place identity.
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