Big picture, that is, in the Keatingesque sense, where sometimes smaller details gave way to larger imperatives – a picture that showed Canberra running on a regular 365-day diary of excitement.

As creative director, Archer is charged with pulling together the disparate elements of our culture, so the 2013 celebrations will range across sport, science, recreation, arts and entertainment, a sore disappointment to the more navel-gazing sectors within the community.

Nonetheless, as Archer was quick to admit, you’d expect her to have an arts component and she does. It won’t be a festival, but rather a “calendar”, bigger than any Adelaide Festival.

Inevitably, the major cultural institutions are involved. Former arts minister Peter Garrett wrote two years ago asking them to be involved and though the National Gallery will hold off its announcements, we heard that the Museum of Australian democracy will stage a show called “The Art of Influence”, the National Archives will exhibit fragile etchings by Marion Mahony Griffin and the National Museum will pay tribute to the first Australians in “Old Masters: Early Bark Paintings of Australia”. The Multicultural Festival will focus on indigenous musicians and Bangarra Dance Theatre will stage a special triple bill.

A modest $1 million fund went to community projects. Definite grants (this doesn’t close until June 30) will include $100,000 for the Royal Canberra Show, $16,693 to Tuggeranong Arts Centre for a lakeside community sculpture project, $25,000 for Kulture Break’s “Dance Nation” community project, $9900 to Artsound FM to preserve recordings and $1000 towards a cake decorators’ open day.

Higher-cost projects are the major commissions. Canberra Symphony Orchestra and local choirs will perform the new “Centenary Symphony,” commissioned from Australian composer Andrew Schultz.

The Australian Ballet has been commissioned to create a world premiere about the Parliament House building. They’ve already done a walk-through with architect and theatre-lover, Aldo Giurgola.

The Centenary has joined the Sydney Theatre Company and Perth Festival in commissioning the world premiere of local resident Kate Grenville’s “The Secret River”, adapted for the stage by Andrew Bovell.

In the only overseas commission, British artist Jyll Bradley will create a sound and photoscape called “City of Trees”, inspired by walks through the Namadji National Park and other wooded areas.

Canberrans will get to kick up their heels with 100 years of social dancing, starting at the Yarralumla Woolshed, moving to the Albert Hall, Goulburn and Queanbeyan, then later into the underbelly of Canberra, its clubs and discos.

In my view, Archer satisfactorily answered complaints that she was sidelining local artists, had no interest in multiculturalism and had stolen the limelight from distinguished Canberra artists. Her street-cred, established when she directed the National Festival of Australian Theatre here, is now apparent in “seeding” projects such as the youthful “You Are Here” festival. We can look forward to a year-long look at what Canberra is and can be.