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The Role of the Arts in Australia the Role THEAUSTRALIANCOLLABORatION A Collaboration of National Community Organisations The Role of the Arts in Australia The arts play a central part in the way we live, the way Rabbit Proof Fence and Bran Nue Dae have put Indigenous we think and how we feel about ourselves. Almost eve- issues into the minds of most Australians. rybody in Australia listens to music, reads books, goes to The non-Indigenous Australian arts also have a histori- the theatre, concerts or dances, goes to galleries and art cal pedigree, even if it is not as old. From the early days museums or is interested in fashion and design. In homes, of the colonies, theatre, music, fiction writing and paint- workplaces, cars and trucks across the country people of ing played a role in the establishment of a new nation. The all ages enjoy music as part of their daily routine. We love birth and growth of modern Australia has from the outset watching films in cinemas, on television and today even been documented like that of few other countries. Visual on our mobile phones. According to the study Australians artists accompanied Captain Cook and the first fleet. The and the Arts, nine out of ten Australians think it is impor- pictures they brought back to England quickly began to tant to have some creative skills. shape the European image of the Australian continent and The arts are also a great source of pride for Australians. its inhabitants. Europeans were astonished at the flora, They made a very large contribution to the success of two fauna, geographical features and light of the newly discov- of the biggest single events in recent Australian history: ered continent and the first seeds of an Australian identity the Sydney Olympics and the Melbourne Commonwealth had been planted. Games. The opening and closing ceremonies were artistic For the first settlers in the new nation the arts were often events, presenting distinct Australian images to the world. seen as a way of maintaining some of the traditions and This fact sheet examines the role of the arts in Australian trappings of the “civilization” they had left behind or society. It looks at the way the arts shape our lives and the been taught to revere. Basic theatres and music halls life of the Australian community. soon sprang up in the early settlements and became an important source of entertainment and social activity. By Historical background the 1850s the first tours of international theatre compa- Indigenous Australians, the original inhabitants of the nies were arriving in Australia after the discovery of gold great southern continent, have one of the world’s long- brought new wealth to the colonies. Over the next 150 est-surviving artistic traditions. Australia has some of years Australia developed a thriving arts sector which the world’s oldest rock art dating back more than 20,000 has brought Australian arts and artists to the attention of years. Indigenous communities still place great impor- Australians and the rest of the world. tance on artistic activity as a way of sharing experiences Despite this success, many Australians, even today, often and emotions, teaching, developing communities and sup- underestimate the importance of the arts in our soci- porting people with employment. Indigenous arts activ- ety and play down the status of our culture. Up until the ity is not only about preserving a time-honoured cultural 1960s, many creative people felt the need to move overseas tradition. Today’s Indigenous arts represent a vibrant con- to further their careers and “make it”. temporary culture. Indigenous artists working in dance, painting, film and music are reaching into the heart of But after the upheaval of World War II, Australian artists mainstream Australian society, bringing renewed pride to began to reject this view and the next generation of emerg- their communities and making a real and practical contri- ing visual artists, filmmakers, composers and writers bution to reconciliation. Films such as Samson and Delilah, started to explore Australian themes in their work. www.australiancollaboration.com.au 1 THEAUSTRALIANCOLLABORatION The painter Sidney Nolan painted his famous series of The arts in Australia have also developed into an impor- paintings about the life of Ned Kelly in the late 1940s and tant industry employing many people and making a valu- they became highly influential for new Australian paint- able contribution to the economy. ing. Patrick White’s novel, The Tree of Man, received inter- national acclaim when it was published in 1955 and, in Identity 1973, White was awarded the prestigious Nobel prize for From the outset, the arts in Australia have played a cen- literature. Robert Helpmann choreographed The Display tral role in shaping our shared identity. In the early days it for the Australian Ballet in 1964. The composer Peter was poetry such as Banjo Paterson’s Man from Snowy River Sculthorpe wrote the first of his Sun Music series in 1965. or Dorothea Mackellar’s I Love a Sunburnt Country, along Musicians in Australia were also developing a local take with songs such as Waltzing Matilda and paintings such on the latest new music for young people: pop and rock ‘n’ as Tom Roberts’ Shearing the Rams that began to give Aus- roll. Films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), The Chant tralians an idea that they had something in common; that of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) and Storm Boy (1976) showed they were part of a community that was different from the Australian stories with a new confidence and became very ones they had left behind; and that gave meaning to the popular with audiences. David Williamson’s 1971 play idea of being “Australian”. Don’s Party initiated a new era of Australian theatre and Barry Humphries’ alter ego, Dame Edna, taught us how to But what is cultural identity? Often people are unaware laugh at ourselves and showed that we had the confidence of their cultural identity because it is something we grow to do so. up with from early childhood and absorb continuously from our social environment. It is constantly chang- Today Australia has its own unique arts “voice” featur- ing and hard to pin down. For many people the first time ing an irreverent humour combined with a youthful, they clearly see their cultural identity comes when they optimistic and innovative outlook. If there is any remain- are confronted by a different identity, for example, when ing doubt about the success of the arts and artists in Aus- they first travel overseas. Our cultural identity is the set tralia, recent achievements in the international arena of beliefs, values, history, attitudes, artistic practices and should dispel it. Many major European performing arts aspirations we share with others in the communities to ensembles, orchestras and venues have outstanding Aus- which we belong. We all have a multifaceted cultural iden- tralian artists and arts managers working in them. Aus- tity, or perhaps multiple overlapping (and even conflicting) tralians have been regular Oscar winners since Ken Hall identities. and Damien Parer became the first Australians to win an Academy Award in 1942 with a film about the Kokoda To understand cultural identity and its importance, it may trail. (The film, Kokoda Front Line! is an example of the be helpful to imagine life without one. Without a personal way film making has helped shape our understanding cultural identity, friendships are very difficult because in of history and national character and was a precursor the absence of a shared set of interests, opinions or sense of Peter Weir’s 1981 epic Gallipoli). In more recent times, of humour, it is very difficult to connect with other peo- for instance, filmmakers such as Adam Elliot and George ple. On the broader scale, a national community without Miller have won Oscars, as have numerous Australian its own recognisable culture and identity is just a “branch costume designers and cinematographers. In acting, Cate office” of someone else’s world with its values, goals, ambi- Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe have all won tions and traditions (i.e. its “identity”) imposed on it by Oscars and helped inspire other young Australians to external producers of culture. Such a group of people reach for the stars. Australia’s best-known contemporary would soon feel inferior and dispossessed, like second-class author, Peter Carey, has won the prestigious Booker Prize citizens, unable to shape their own future. twice. Australia’s music industry has also been very suc- For Australians it is important that we get to watch our cessful on the international scene, with performers such as kind of stories on the big screen (with our accents and Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, and AC/DC having taken Aus- language), see our land and cities on television, hear our tralian music to the world. bands on the radio and read books that deal with our www.australiancollaboration.com.au 2 THEAUSTRALIANCOLLABORatION history, our way of life and our dreams. At the same time an important and rewarding part of working life for many we need to see ourselves as part of a global network of dif- people. The next trend may be life-long exposure to active ferent cultural identities and aspirations. participation in the creative arts. Self-expression Community building Many people, particularly young people, turn to music, As well as helping to create a shared identity as described film, dance, acting, fashion etc. to express their ideas and above, the arts bring people together and provide shared feelings, explore issues affecting their lives, share experi- experiences. Statistics show that more people in Australia ences with other people, contribute to political and social attend arts than sports events.
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