MAKING ART WORK An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia David Throsby and Katya Petetskaya Department of Economics, Macquarie University ISBN: 978-0-6482152-0-2 Making Art Work: An economic study of professional artists in Australia © David Throsby and Katya Petetskaya, 2017. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the copyright holders. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to: Director Research and Knowledge Management, Australia Council for the Arts, PO Box 778, Strawberry Hills, NSW, 2012, Australia. This publication is available online at www.australiacouncil.gov.au The information included in this report is current as at 1 September 2017. Front cover: Anna Laverty, Sing Sing South Credit: Kellie Fernando Bird 2 An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 5 Chapter 6: The multi-talented artist 49 The diversity of artistic work 49 Executive summary 6 The achievements of Australian artists 55 Chapter 1: Introduction 16 Interstate and overseas Survey procedure 17 engagements of artists 59 What is a professional artist? 18 Chapter 7: Patterns of working time 61 Defining artistic occupations 19 Actual patterns of artists’ working time 61 Summary 20 Arts-related work 65 Chapter 2: The artist population 21 Preferred patterns of working time 67 Estimating the artist population 22 Factors preventing artists from Distribution by States/Territories 25 working more 69 Trends in artist numbers 26 Time allocation and level of establishment 71 Chapter 3: Demographics of the artist population 27 Chapter 8: Income and expenditure 72 Age 27 Mean and median incomes 72 Gender 29 Time and money 78 Birthplace 30 Minimum income requirements 79 Family circumstances 31 Spouse’s or partner’s income 81 Residential location 31 Expenses 81 Income trends over time 83 Chapter 4: Education and training 33 General education 33 Chapter 9: Employment and financial security 87 Training in the arts 35 Employment status 88 Most important types of training 36 Unemployment 88 Time spent in training 37 Sources of income 90 Training continues 39 Future financial security 91 Chapter 5: Career progression 41 Tax averaging 97 The stages in an artistic career 41 Chapter 10: Professional practice issues 98 Becoming established 41 Promotion of work 98 First income 44 Business skills 101 Factors advancing and inhibiting artists’ careers 44 Intellectual property 103 Infringement of artists’ rights 105 Insurance 108 Financial assistance 109 An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia 3 Chapter 11: The changing context Chapter 16: Wellbeing 156 of artistic practice 112 Assessment of artists’ life satisfaction 156 Applying artistic skills outside the arts 112 Results across artistic occupations 157 Usage of technology 117 Usage of the internet 119 Chapter 17: Age 160 Further possibilities 122 Is the artist population getting older? 160 Demographics 162 Chapter 12: Gender issues 123 Career progression 162 Demographics and training 123 Time allocation 165 Professional development 123 Incomes 166 Time allocation 127 Financial assistance 167 Income 131 Financial assistance 133 Chapter 18: Mobility 168 Demographics 168 Chapter 13: Regional artists 135 Differences by artistic occupation 170 Location and demographics 135 Incomes 171 Effect of regional location on artistic practice 136 Chapter 19: Some longer-term trends Employment status 137 Demographics 172 Experience of unemployment 138 Time allocation 173 Career progression 138 Incomes 174 Incomes 141 References 177 Financial assistance 142 Appendices 179 Chapter 14: Artists from non-English speaking backgrounds 143 Appendix I: Survey methodology 179 Demographics 143 Defining a practising professional artist 179 Incomes and time allocation 145 Population lists of artists 181 Career progression 147 Sampling 181 Financial assistance 149 Development of the questionnaire 182 Conducting the interviews 183 Chapter 15: Artists with disabilities 151 Ethical aspects 184 Demographics 152 Incomes 153 Appendix II: Detailed data tables 185 Unemployment 154 Career progression 154 Financial assistance 154 4 An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We wish to express our thanks to a number The fieldwork for the survey was carried out by of organisations and individuals who have TKW Research. We acknowledge the work of contributed to this research project. In particular the TKW management and interviewing staff in we are grateful to the Australia Council for carrying through a difficult project, in particular commissioning the research that enabled Samuel Condello, Dylan Murray, Penny Rosario the project to be undertaken. The Council’s and Anthony Bullivant. Research and Knowledge Management Unit provided constant support throughout We express our thanks to Dr Hayley Megan the project without ever compromising our French who undertook the case-study independence. We acknowledge particularly the interviews and analysed the transcripts. The cooperation of Lisa Walsh, Rebecca Mostyn and ten artists interviewed gave generously of their Marija Vojdanoska. time. The edited versions of the case-study boxes were prepared by Robin Hughes. The compilation of the population lists upon which our sampling procedures depended was We are grateful to Dr Sunny Shin for very handled by a small team under the supervision valuable and timely assistance with data of the project directors. We express our analysis. As always, Laura Billington in the thanks to the members of the team: Donna Department of Economics gave enormous Abela, Nichola Braithwaite, Sally Cushing, support throughout the project; in particular Callum Morgan and Ruth Wells. This aspect she worked tirelessly on the preparation and of the project would not have been possible editing of the Report. without the active cooperation and support of the large number of arts organisations that Finally, a survey such as this could not allowed us access to their membership lists in be undertaken without the cooperation of various ways. They are listed in Appendix I. We nearly a thousand artists who took time off are deeply grateful to the management and from making art to answer an enormous staff of these organisations for their willingness number of questions about their working lives. to help. Without exception respondents to the survey participated willingly and with enthusiasm. Dealing with the privacy concerns of We send our sincere good wishes and a big organisations that cooperate in a survey such vote of thanks to every one of them. as this has become a significant issue. We were greatly assisted in preparing our approach Note that the views expressed in this to this matter by expert advice provided by Report are those of the authors alone and Simpsons Solicitors. The project was carried do not necessarily represent the views of the out in strict compliance with the ethical Australia Council, Macquarie University or requirements for research as laid down by the any other organisation or individual. Macquarie University Ethics Committee. We are grateful to the Committee and staff for support and for their approval for this work. An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This survey is the sixth in a series carried training, experience or talent and a manner of out over more than 30 years at Macquarie working that qualify artists to have their work University, with funding from the Australia judged against the professional standards of Council. The surveys have thrown light on the the relevant occupation. ways in which professional arts practice has been changing over time. The development The survey covers both full-time and part-time of the internet and digital technologies have artists; employed and self-employed artists; transformed not only the ways in which and artists regardless of whether all, some or artists can participate in the international art none of their income comes from art practice. world and the global economy, but also the It identifies artists according to their principal very processes of artistic creation. At the artistic occupation (PAO), grouped into eight same time, employment conditions for artists occupational classifications: writers; visual have been changing radically, with increasing artists; craft practitioners; actors and directors; insecurity in contractual arrangements, and dancers and choreographers; musicians the replacement of steady employment and singers; composers, songwriters and with the emerging concept of the portfolio arrangers; community cultural development career, characterised by a variety of work artists (formerly known as community artists or arrangements. Nevertheless, there is also community cultural development workers). The a sense in which nothing changes. The survey does not cover film-makers or interior, fundamental processes of creativity, the fashion, industrial or architectural designers. pursuit of an artistic vision and the passionate commitment to art that characterises art In previous surveys, as in the present one, professionals—these things remain at the a number of Indigenous artists working in heart of what it is to be a practising artist. urban and regional locations are picked up For many artists the real challenge is to keep in the sampling procedures. But it has always hold of these core values in such a rapidly