The Next Generation of Voters: Young middle Australians talk Arts, Culture & Creativity 

Key findings 

Finding 1

Arts and culture are embedded in and inseparable from everyday life, partly because digital and physical experiences are so thoroughly intertwined. It is impossible for them to imagine a world without arts and culture as they access these experiences constantly. Any approach that treats arts and culture as separate, or ‘add-ons’ to daily life, will not make sense to this cohort.

Finding 2

The stigma that some Australians attach to high arts is largely absent. They are as keen to engage with traditional ‘high arts’ as they are to engage with any other kind of arts and cultural experience, as long as those experiences are accessible and the stories they tell feel relevant.

Finding 3

Australia’s arts and cultural content should reflect the diversity of our population, and the stories of our First Nations peoples. This cohort believes arts and culture help deepen Australians’ understanding of different people and perspectives, and also help tell Australia’s diverse range of stories to international audiences.

Finding 4

Arts and culture are community-building tools that help mitigate loneliness and social isolation. Consequently, this cohort believes politicians and governments have a critical role to play in supporting cultural and creative organisations and industries.

Finding 5

Childhood interactions with arts and culture influence creative thinking in adulthood, as well as innovation outcomes in the workplace and in society more broadly. However, these young middle Australians worry that the cognitive, social and emotional benefits are decreased when schools are poorly equipped or choose to reduce the time spent on arts and culture in the classroom.

Key opportunities 

Opportunity 1

Prepare and implement a National Arts, Culture and Creativity Plan to inform more coherent, non-partisan policy settings and investments, and clarify responsibilities across the three levels of government. Digital disruption, changing demographics and a global cultural market are changing our opportunities and preferences; a Plan will help Australia respond to, and anticipate, these changes.

Opportunity 2

Update policy, regulatory and legislative settings to reflect the value young middle Australians place on: (1) making arts and cultural experiences and infrastructure accessible to people wherever they live, (2) increasing accessibility in the way public spaces are designed, and (3) making interactive engagement activities a priority.

Opportunity 3

To mitigate loneliness, social exclusion and social isolation among young middle Australians, prioritise using arts and cultural activities in existing and new initiatives, especially in placemaking and community-building, recognising that they can be creators, consumers, co-collaborators and enthusiastic attendees.

Opportunity 4

To support good lifelong outcomes for young people, arts and culture, and the benefits of engaging, should be taught consistently at school. This is especially relevant for those from lower to middle-income families and those living in outer suburban and regional areas. This could be supplemented by subsidy programs for arts and cultural activities and/or tuition to ensure cost is not a barrier to access for any Australian child.

Opportunity 5

Prioritise schemes, incentives and requirements that support production and distribution of diverse Australian content and iconography that is relatable to young middle Australians in all communities across Australia. This includes drawing on Australia’s cultural inheritance to create international public diplomacy initiatives that celebrate Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture as well as the diverse stories of our multicultural nation.

Opportunity 6

Take an industry transformation approach to supporting arts and cultural organisations in pivoting to digital, given the importance that Australians, especially young middle Australians, are now placing on digital engagement with arts and culture.