Engagement in Indigenous arts and culture
Indigenous arts and culture is central to the lives and identity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics
People in remote areas have higher participation and the benefits flow
According to recent Australia Council research Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in remote areas have higher participation in arts and cultural activities. Those who do participate have markedly better physical and mental health and self-reported happiness (1) and are more likely to complete secondary school and be employed. (2)
Interest in Indigenous arts and culture by all Queenslanders is growing
Arts in Daily Life: Queenslanders and the Arts 2013 data evidenced that amongst the general population in Queensland in 2013
The Indigenous arts economy is thriving
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture makes a very important cultural and economic contribution to Australia’s cultural economy. The Indigenous visual arts sector is the largest contributor to the Australia arts economy of all Indigenous art forms. Indigenous visual artists produce some of Australia most valuable works of art and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people represent 15% of Australia’s painters.
Remote community art production is a major source of commercial income
Art production is the main source of commercial income for many remote communities with art centres. Between 2008 and 2012, remote Indigenous art centres generated around $53 million in art sales, with $30 million paid to artists.(3) Approximately 40% of art sales are reinvested in art centres which are community hubs. They provide employment and other social and cultural benefits as well as producing and marketing some of Australia’s most vibrant and dynamic visual art.
Nearly two thirds (65%) of artists who have received resale royalties are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists. The royalties generated by these Indigenous artists is close to $2.6 million which is almost half of the total royalties generated since 2010.
International visitors more likely to choose an Indigenous culture experience
Over the last four years, the number of international tourists to Australia has grown by 13 percent while the number of international arts tourists has increased 19 percent to 2.4 million in 2013–14. Tourism Research Australia research has found that international visitors are more likely to participate in Indigenous culture such as experiencing Aboriginal art/craft or cultural display (22%) of visiting an Aboriginal site or community (11%) than domestic overnight and domestic day visitors.
Arts Queensland funding for Indigenous Arts and Culture achieves great returns
The Queensland Government invests in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultural development predominantly through two major programs – Backing Indigenous Arts and the Indigenous Regional arts Development Program. Based on available data across Backing Indigenous Arts and the Indigenous Regional Arts Development Fund (at March 2014)
Arts grants expenditure raw data, including Indigenous arts grants expenditure is available on the Queensland Government open data portal https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/arts-grants-expenditure.
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Notes:
All notes quoted in in Australia Council for the Arts 2015, Art Nation: An Overview of Australian Arts
1.ABS 2010, ‘The city and the bush: Indigenous wellbeing across remoteness areas’, in Australian Social Trends, Sep 2010, (cat. no. 41020.0), 29 September.
2.Dockery AM 2011, ‘Traditional culture and the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians: An analysis of the 2008 NATSISS,’ in Social Science Perspectives on the 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 11–12 April 2011, CAEPR, ANU, Canberra and
3.Woodhead A and Acker T 2014, The Art Economies Value Chain reports: Synthesis, CRCREP, Research Report CR004, Ninti One Limited, Alice Springs.