Australia Council reveals one-stop shop for arts facts

The Australia Council for the Arts has released a comprehensive, statistical overview of the Australian arts sector on its Art Facts website.

Australia Council Chief Executive Tony Grybowski said the Arts Facts Overview was the latest addition to the Council’s Art Facts project. It brings together valuable information about the arts sector from data collected by the Australia Council, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and industry stakeholders.

Grybowski stated “the arts sector is constantly evolving and the statistics we’ve gathered for the Art Facts Overview show many positive trends

“The interactive Art Facts website brings together facts, figures and research from across the sector into one place to provide a detailed picture of the key trends, issues and opportunities for the arts.

“The Art Facts Overview findings are split into five categories – arts creation, industry, participation, global trade and industry support.

“Users of the website will be able to discover a range of interesting facts, have the ability to share their findings, leave comments, “like” what they learn and test their knowledge through an online quiz.”

Some of the key findings in the Art Facts Overview include:

• 89% of Australians think the arts are an important part of education.

• 92% of Australians think Indigenous arts are an important part of Australia’s culture.

• Philanthropic income to the Major Performing Arts organisations has doubled since 2009.

• One in three artists use their creative skills in other industries.

• Live performances generated more than $1 billion in ticket sales in 2012.

Grybowski said the Art Facts Overview draws on several new pieces of research the Council had provided to the sector and the public to keep them informed of trends and changes in the arts.

He added “last month the Australia Council released The Arts in Daily Life: Australian Participation in the Arts survey, which measured public attitudes and participation in the arts, both as consumers and creators.

“The survey provided tangible evidence that the arts are an intrinsically important part of Australian’s lives and culture, with positive changes in most categories since the survey was last undertaken in 2009.

“The Art Facts Overview will be added to existing research already on the Art Facts website, which has specific information on visual arts and music.

“We plan to expand this research resource to include other artform areas, such as literature, dance and theatre.

“These research projects are part of the Council’s commitment to providing a stronger evidence base for how we understand and talk about arts and culture in Australia."

Click here to visit the Art Facts Overview data.

Click here to view the Artfacts Overview Factsheet.

Click here to view The Arts in Daily Life: Australian Participation in the Arts report and fact sheets.

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