Australian cultural and creative activity
Australian cultural and creative activity: A population and hotspot analysis. This project aims to grasp the contemporary dynamics of cultural and creative activity in Australia. It represents a major innovation, bringing together population-level and comparative studies of local cultural and creative activity. The comprehensive project will advance the integration of quantitative and qualitative research strategies, painting a complete national picture, while also exploring the factors that are producing local and regional creative hotspots. The project will deliver outputs such as reports and forums that are framed in close collaboration with partners in order to deliver outcomes such as better-targeted policy and program initiatives. This will provide national cultural and policy benefits from placing the creative sector in front of policy makers as a vital contributor to high growth, labour-intensive economic activity in the context of the Australian economy in transition.
Creative hotspots for study were selected in consultation with state research partners from shortlists of local government areas ranked by creative employment counts and intensities and include:
- Queensland – Cairns, Sunshine Coast + Noosa, Gold Coast, Central West Queensland
- New South Wales – Coffs Harbour, Marrickville, Wollongong, Albury
- Victoria – Geelong + Surf Coast, Ballarat, Bendigo, Wodonga
- Western Australia – Geraldton, Fremantle, Busselton, Albany + Denmark
- South Australia – to be confirmed shortly
Visit our project website for more information including Hotspots Summaries and Reports, Employment Data Tables and Publications.
Project team
Investigators
- Distinguished Professor Stuart Cunningham
- Dr Marion McCutcheon
- Professor Greg Hearn
- Associate Professor Mark Ryan
- Professor Terry Flew
- Associate Professor Phillip McIntyre, The University of Newcastle
- Associate Professor Susan Kerrigan, The University of Newcastle
Project partners
- The University of Newcastle
- Arts Queensland
- Creative Victoria
- Arts NSW
- Arts South Australia
- Department of Culture and the Arts, WA
Project funding
- ARC Linkage project (2016 – 2019)
