2. Understand the value of the creative industries

To truly assist the creative and cultural industries sector, the public benefits of art production and art consumption need to be more clearly understood and articulated – especially now that COVID-19 restrictions have resulted in a loss of employment, lost audiences, and programs for venues.

The public value of art and culture is often taken for granted in Australia. Outside of the many quantifiable economic benefits of employment, productivity and tourism, arts and culture have a high intrinsic value to the community. This is reflected in the results of the Australia Council’s 2020 participation survey, which demonstrated the 'role of arts as a public good, infused and embedded in the fabric of our daily lives’. Furthermore, the snapshot suggests:

• 98 per cent of Australians engage with the arts
• 45 per cent creatively participate
• 68 per cent attend live music

Improved social cohesion and inclusion

In policy settings, the link between arts participation and social cohesion and improved resilience for communities is well established. Policy makers understand the importance of ensuring equitable access to opportunities to participate in arts and culture. Associations such as Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) are committed to the art and artists that shape the narratives that define Australia as a multicultural nation and acknowledge that ‘work is still needed to future proof our identity as a society that deeply values its diversity’. In a recent project, we engaged with members of MAV's Emerge Program who highlighted the importance of arts and cultural institutions to reflect the rich culture of our migrant and refugee communities. Diverse creative communities shape and enrich our national identity.

Reconciliation and a platform for sharing First Nations art and culture

Creativity and culture through institutions and programming are beginning to play a role in reconciliation and supporting a future Australian in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is both valued and recognised. Nationally museums and cultural institutions are looking to decolonise their collections and institutions, for some this includes important repatriation processes.

Programming is also becoming more inclusive and important steps include the appointment of First Nations curators to nationally significant institutions. Key festivals, such as the Art Gallery of South Australia led Tarnanthi are providing platforms for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to share important stories. The same festival has an overwhelming economic impact, having delivered nearly $63 million in economic benefits since 2015.

However, it is important to recognise that First Nations art and culture is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of COVID, due to the potential loss of vulnerable elders, plus many First Nations communities have a greater reliance on art revenue than non Indigenous communities.

Arts in health impacts

In some settings, arts and culture are actively combating social isolation. There is emerging evidence that arts in health integration can result in improved staff and patient wellbeing and satisfaction as well as clinical improvements in hospital settings. The potential of arts in health integration to deliver significant benefits is evident in the first World Health Organisation report on the evidence base for arts and health interventions. In NSW, notable arts in health programs include Arterie at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Royal Prince Alfred in NSW. The program is part of a ‘holistic approach to healthcare which aims to ease the side effects of illness and hospitalisation, such as stress, pain, fatigue, isolation and depression’.

In 2019, we assisted Health Infrastructure NSW with a benefits framework for arts in health integration. The purpose of the work was to develop an accurate and reliable method for identifying and measuring the benefits of arts in health infrastructure in public hospitals. The framework identified five aggregate categories of benefit, including:

• patient health outcomes
• patient experience
• staff experience
• visitor experience, and
• preventative health savings.

A future-ready workforce

The creative and cultural industries are also providing our next generation of innovators and our future workforce with the higher-order skills required. Arts education and STEAM initiatives can socialise students with creative problem solving and design thinking.

In a recent example, the Victorian Government committed to investing $8.6 million to put creative professionals – such as performers, artists, designers, musicians, filmmakers and writers – in government schools next year. The investment aims to support artists who had been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, as well as students who had endured months of learning at home and the loss of many fun activities.