Advocacy and
research

Soft Centre Festival 2018. Credit: Jordan Munns.

We advocate for the social, cultural and economic value of the arts and creativity.

We conduct research and analysis that deepens understanding of the role and value of arts and creativity. 

Arts and culture are a public good and Australians recognise the positive impacts of creative engagement to individuals, communities, and the economy.1

Experiencing arts and culture is not a pastime of the elite: 97% of Australians engage with the arts in some way, either by listening to music, reading, creating art, engaging with the arts online or by attending arts and cultural events and festivals.2

However, many have tended to think of cultural investment only as ‘support for artists’, rather than as a vital investment in the wellbeing and prosperity of our whole community. There remains work to be done to shift public perception about the breadth of arts and culture so that the benefits of a well-supported cultural sector flow freely to our communities.

Our research also tells us that inequalities remain in the ways Australians attend cultural events, including in relation to income and disability.3 Cultural inclusion is vital to the health, wellbeing and prosperity of Australian communities and for generations to come.

Everyone derives value from experiencing art, whether through our own creative expression or through experiencing the creative work of others.

The emotional, mental and social benefits of arts experience are countless and well documented: from increased understanding of each other, stronger critical thinking skills, mental wellbeing and decreased stress levels; to significant public benefits such as social connection, expression of self and community identity, healthy childhood development and healthy ageing.

1, 2, 3Creative Australia 2023, Creating Value: Results of the National Arts Participation Survey.


Explore our research

Select the type of research from the dropdown menu or enter the title.

Explore our research

Select the type of research from the dropdown menu or enter the title.

Artists and creative careers Cultural and creative industries

Leading Change: Audience Diversification in the Arts

Publication date: 3 September, 2024
Artists and creative careers Cultural and creative industries

Building strong foundations: Research on arts and disability needs and opportunities

Publication date: 24 May, 2024
Artists and creative careers Cultural and creative industries

Artists as Workers: An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia

Publication date: 6 May, 2024
Cultural and creative industries Engagement First Nations Value and impact

The Creative Economy in Australia – What Census 2021 Tells Us

Publication date: 28 November, 2023
First Nations

First Nations Arts

Publication date: 14 November, 2023
Diversity and equity Engagement First Nations

Creating Value: Results of the National Arts Participation Survey

Publication date: 19 September, 2023
Cultural and creative industries Engagement First Nations Value and impact

Widening The Lens: Social inequality and arts participation

Publication date: 13 June, 2023

Image credits (left to right and top to bottom):

  • Mary Katatjuku Pan from Amata (SA) with Punu Kutjara. 2016. Image by Rhett Hammerton. Copyright Tjanpi Desert Weavers, NPY Women’s Council.
  • Bangarra, 30 Years of 65 Thousand, To Make Fire. Sydney Opera House. Credit Daniel Boud.
  • Brayden Callucci, current recipient of the Marten Bequest Scholarship for ballet.
  • Alon Ilsar. Australia Council for the Arts – The Space in Between, VIVID Sydney.