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 increasingly recognise their positive impacts in our lives and communities.1

Experiencing arts and culture is not a pastime of the elite: 98% of Australians already are engaging in many ways.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, 3 Australia Council 2020, Creating Our Future: 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.

Cultural and creative industries Diversity and equity Engagement Value and impact

COVID-19 Audience Outlook Monitor April 2023

Publication date: 27 January, 2023
Artists and creative careers Cultural and creative industries Diversity and equity First Nations Value and impact

Bringing it Forward

Publication date: 5 October, 2022
Diversity and equity Engagement First Nations

Audience Data and Advocacy Tools

Publication date: 13 December, 2021
Cultural and creative industries Diversity and equity

Towards Equity: a research overview of diversity in Australia’s arts and cultural sector

Publication date: 8 June, 2021
Artists and creative careers Diversity and equity

The Gender Pay Gap Among Australian Artists: Some preliminary findings

Publication date: 12 November, 2020
Artists and creative careers Diversity and equity First Nations

Survey of First Nations Music Artists

Publication date: 21 September, 2020

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.
  • Fanny Lumsden 2018 Promo. Image credit Dan Stanley Freeman.
  • Creature Dot and the Kangaroo. Stalker Theatre. Photo by Darren Thomas.