Behind the Scenes: Drivers of Arts and Cultural Policy Settings in Australia and Beyond 

Four key cultural policy drivers 

Collective Identity

The purpose of arts and culture is to help groups of otherwise disparate individuals to unite around a collective identity that builds on the things they have (or can be argued to have) in common.

---

Reputation-Building

The purpose of arts and culture is to help build the reputation of a country, region, organisation or individual, often by associating these entities or individuals with standards of excellence as defined by relevant stakeholders.

---

Social Improvement

The purpose of arts and culture is to provide spillover benefits in areas of societal concern (like education, health and disaster recovery) to the widest range of people possible.

---

Economic Contribution

The purpose of arts and culture is to contribute to the nation’s economic prosperity, either directly through income and/or employment generation, or indirectly by influencing innovation.

Key findings 

Finding 1

Four key policy drivers underpin recent cultural policy around the world. These are collective identity, reputation-building, social improvement and economic contribution.

---

Finding 2

The four policy drivers can be deliberately combined in cultural policies to catalyse a range of specific effects emerging out of arts and cultural activities.

---

Finding 3

When policy makers are not aware of the drivers they are using to create cultural policy, and inadvertently use various drivers in combination, they risk these drivers having contradictory goals. This makes it difficult or impossible for the policy to be successfully implemented.

---

Finding 4

Considering the drivers that underpin cultural policy can be useful in planning the implementation of policy. Otherwise, there is a risk that the policy intentions may not match the reality.

---

Finding 5

Neither of the two major Australian political parties has significantly prioritised public expenditure on arts and culture more than the other since the 1970s. However, different governments have been influenced more by some drivers than others. When stakeholders value different cultural policy drivers to the government of the day, this can lead to those stakeholders feeling that arts and culture are being de-prioritised by that government.

---

Finding 6

The most effective cultural policies underpinned by economic contribution drivers take a creative industries approach and demonstrate how arts, culture and creative activities interact with each other to increase creativity and innovation across the economy.

---

Finding 7

The last decade has seen a greater concentration of different policy drivers in a range of policy settings across all three levels of government, and this has made arts and culture an increasingly complex area of public policy.

---

Finding 8

COVID-19 has accelerated innovation in the production, distribution and consumption of arts and culture via digital means. These trends need to be specifically addressed when updating our cultural policy settings for the 21st century.

Opportunities 

Opportunity 1

Determine the appropriate combination of drivers to underpin cultural policy settings for any given jurisdiction, to ensure that investment is effective and relevant in achieving that jurisdiction’s priorities.

---

Opportunity 2

Establish an inquiry investigating whether cultural policy settings and associated investments are effective and relevant for 21st century Australia. This should include a strategy and mechanism for better coordination between the three levels of government, and identify the policy areas that would create value through strategic investment.

---

Opportunity 3

Review pathways and mechanisms that connect and embed arts and cultural activities in education, mental health and social inclusion strategies, including those related to recovery from natural disasters and significant social and economic disruptions.

---

Opportunity 4

Create a National Arts, Culture and Creativity Plan, in the same vein as the existing ‘Sport 2030’ National Sport Plan, that identifies the enduring and non-partisan principles and responsibilities that could inform more coherent arts and cultural policy settings and investment at all three levels of government.

---

Opportunity 5

Increase the positive attitudes of internal stakeholders by demonstrating both the access to arts and culture provided by cultural policy and policy actions, and the value these actions have or will have to those stakeholders and their communities.

---

Opportunity 6

Continually review investment in, and diversity of, arts and cultural activities to increase opportunities that will bring individuals together and build community. For example, festivals, community arts and cultural development initiatives, and local and regional events and experiences.

---

Opportunity 7

Prioritise incentives, requirements and schemes that support collective identity-building through the production and distribution of diverse Australian content that will help to build a unified national identity and represent Australia to the world.

---

Opportunity 8

Consider the value of a whole-of-government creative industries approach to cultural policy that will strategically connect arts and culture to  innovation outcomes in the broader creative economy.