The Australia Council for the Arts has today released a new online interactive dashboard that looks at attendance and participation with the arts at a local region level across Australia.
Australia Council for the Arts commissioned the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to prepare data using the smallest geographical area, Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4), to profile how people engage with the arts.
Tony Grybowski, Australia Council for the Arts Chief Executive, said the most recent 2013-14 Local Region Arts Engagement data, converted into a user-friendly platform, can compare areas at a local region level across Australia.
“By analysing the ABS data, the new Australia Council online interactive dashboard can reveal museum attendance in Hobart compared to Townsville or, if more people are engaged in creating visual arts in Geelong compared to Darwin,” Mr Grybowski said.
“This type of critical information can be used to better inform and understand how people engage with the arts in their local communities, which is invaluable for all levels of government, locally-based artists and arts organisations, touring programs and businesses operating in the sector.”
Director of the Cultural Development Network John Smithies said the Australia Council’s initiative to publish arts participation data in an accessible format is an important step in understanding of the breadth of local arts, cultural activity and participation across Australia.
“The capacity to see regional differences in activity and participation levels will complement the work done by local government in understanding participation by their own programs and importantly the outcomes of that participation,” Mr Smithies said.
“The ongoing use of this data, combined with data at a local government level, will build a richer picture of our participation in cultural activities across Australia.”
The Local Region Arts Engagement dashboard data reveals that:
- Museums and art galleries were most popular with ACT and Tasmania residents;
- ACT residents were by far the most engaged as audiences, with 91% attending arts or cultural venues or events, followed by Victoria at 86% and South Australia and Western Australia at 85%;
- 89% of residents in Cairns attended arts events or venues compared to 73% in Latrobe-Gippsland;
- More people in Parramatta (23%) created or participated in the arts compared to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs (18%); and
- 47% of people in Warrnambool and South West, Victoria engaged in creating art compared to 28% in Mandurah, WA and 23% in Darwin.
View and compare your Local Region Arts Engagement data on the Australia Council for the Arts Research webpage.