The department will be closed from Monday 23 December 2024 and will reopen on Thursday 2 January 2025. We will respond to queries in the new year. Best wishes for a safe and happy festive season.
Intro
Western Australia is a vibrant and exciting state, with a diverse and thriving artistic community. Over the next decade, we want to see the creative and artistic sector grow and provide more jobs for locals.
We want our young people to stay here, in Western Australia, and have real job opportunities in the creative industries. This document — Creative WA — outlines the way forward for our state and our Government’s vision for culture, the arts and creativity.
Creative WA will guide us over the next 10 years, bringing together initiatives across government and exploring key partnerships to ensure the creative, cultural and arts sector can deliver, and benefit from, improved social, cultural and economic outcomes for WA.
We have incredible talent in this state that we want to foster and retain.
By 2034, we aspire to build the size and resilience of the creative, cultural and arts sector in all parts of the state, and further increase understanding and appreciation of the role culture, art and creativity play in our everyday lives.
By strengthening pathways into creative careers and supporting education, we aim to grow a dynamic, resilient workforce that already contributes $3.3 billion annually to our economy and employs more than 51,000 people.
Our arts, culture and creative industries forge community connections and a shared identity, improve our wellbeing, increase the vibrancy of our communities, attract investment and tourism, nurture ideas and foster innovation.
This vision will guide initiatives and partnerships, boost cultural infrastructure, and grow opportunities for young people and emerging talent. It will enable WA’s creative sector to drive innovation, connect communities, and enrich lives, while diversifying our economy and enhancing liveability across our cities and regions.
Creative WA is setting WA up for success. Our cities and regions are the best place to live, work and learn when everyone can participate and benefit from culture, art and creativity.
This is an exciting time for WA, and we look forward to the transformation this vision will bring to our state.
Western Australia’s arts and culture are built on the achievements of our vibrant creative ecosystem, that is driven by the creative labour of artists and practitioners. Culture, art and creativity enrich our lives, sense of place and belonging. Wherever we are in WA, whether connecting to culture, participating in or experiencing various artforms, creativity is fundamental to us as individuals, families and communities.
The past decade has been one of critical change for everyone, and particularly those who work in creativity and the arts. Digital innovations, such as music streaming, have transformed how industries and audiences connect. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent economic factors have accelerated this change and exposed longstanding vulnerabilities for the creative, cultural and arts sector. Artists, creative practitioners and organisations face increasing costs to deliver creative and cultural activity. Audiences have less money to spend on tickets and art. Changing consumer behaviour has intensified uncertainty for the workforce and in WA many workers in the creative, culture and arts sector have left for more populous states and stable industries. The 1,300 Western Australians who participated in our statewide consultation made it clear that there is more work to do.
Perhaps surprisingly the opportunities have never been greater. With a growing population, there is an increasing demand for cultural services. Arts, culture and creativity have an increasingly valuable role in Western Australian’s lives. In WA, the creative workforce is growing. Between 2016 and 2021 WA’s creative workforce grew by 3% — above the 2.5% average for the WA workforce overall.
Our creative workforce contributes to diverse industries from education and health to finance and mining. With the expansion of digital infrastructure, the potential for international connections exist like never before. These opportunities are enhanced by our location, particularly our closeness to countries in the ASEAN region and Indian Ocean rim. The challenge is to find ways to address the paradoxes we face to grow the creative ecosystem through targeted investment, policy settings and legislative change and ensure this growth is sustainable.
Creatively, WA has always punched above its weight, producing some of the finest cultural expressions and exporting more trained, creative talent than it imports. This vision looks towards a future where these creatives stay and WA becomes a creative haven, providing more support for the workforce who are at the creative core of it all.
We can do this by supporting individual artists and arts workers to focus on creative development through measures such as fellowships. We can establish events that occur year-round across the state at a sufficient scale to cater to community interest and provide ongoing employment opportunities for the many specialised roles required by our creative, cultural and arts sector.
By growing creative cities and communities, we improve liveability in WA, and increase our state’s competitiveness in attracting and retaining creative talent, thinkers, and innovators across all industries.
Creative WA will guide the activities of the WA Government over the next 10 years, bringing together initiatives across government and exploring key partnerships to ensure the creative, cultural and arts sector can both deliver, and benefit from, improved social, cultural and economic outcomes for WA.
At the heart of Creative WA is recognition and respect for First Nations culture.
WA is home to the world's oldest living and continuous cultures, stretching back more than 65,000 years. WA’s Aboriginal cultures are vibrant and diverse, thanks to the custodianship of Elders, past and present, and artists and communities from all of the First Nations lands across this part of our vast continent.
Creative WA places culture, specifically Aboriginal art, cultural practice and languages, at the heart of this creative ecosystem. We include within this the evolving and living inherited cultural heritage and traditions passed from ancestors.1
We recognise that First Nations creative, cultural and arts practice takes many forms − contemporary and traditional, crossing all artforms and curatorial practices – and occurs in a variety of spaces including theatres, museums, galleries, historic sites, research centres, Aboriginal art, cultural and language centres, and Keeping Places (safe places for First Nations cultural objects and secret and sacred items).
Aboriginal cultural practice, languages and Country are inseparable from one another, and arts policies and programs must reflect this.
Similarly, culture, art and creativity are impossible to separate. Art reflects and challenges our cultural beliefs, and culture shapes the art we produce. Creativity is a key product of our culture, as well as a tool for enriching it.3
Western Australia's multicultural society, groups and associations are vital to WA’s rich cultural diversity, and our connected, inclusive communities. Acknowledging and promoting respect for the cultural, artistic and creative contributions and achievements of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds enhances our sense of identity and belonging and ensures everyone can participate and contribute. Drawing on the diversity of Western Australian communities helps us to proactively connect with other countries and markets and contribute to cultural exchange and diplomacy.
Arts, culture and creative industries are central to the future development of WA. State Government investment works like seed funding, attracting further investment from the Australian Government, local government, private investment and philanthropy. Growing a critical mass of creative, cultural and arts workers will ensure WA is competitive in attracting talent and investment to our state. Drawing on and feeding into key WA and Australian Government policies, Creative WA presents an array of opportunities for across- government collaboration, enhancing education and training prospects, including targeted training to match planned infrastructure investment, securing jobs, diversifying the economy, growing cultural tourism, and supporting trade objectives and cultural diplomacy.
As just 3 examples of such investment, the Western Australian Screen Industry Strategy, ECU City and the Aboriginal Cultural Centre demonstrate a solid starting point.
The WA Government has committed $31.9 million over 4 years to develop the WA screen industry workforce, extend the pilot Digital Games Fund, and finance the attraction of major screen productions to WA. In 2023, a total of 41 film, television, digital games and post-digital and visual effects projects commenced across the state. The opening of the new $233.5 million Perth Film Studios in 2026 will accelerate this growth and establish Western Australia as a major international and national screen production destination. It is important to ensure a supportive screen culture accompanies this growth to keep filling the creative well with new talent and innovation.
Investing in on-the-job training and workforce development will contribute to the growth of creative, cultural and arts organisations. We need to ensure there are sufficient professional creative development opportunities to nourish the creative ecosystem. Artform development will be a policy focus to ensure the creative ecosystem replenishes with innovation and new standards of excellence.
The $1.66 billion Perth City Deal partnership between the WA and Australian Governments and City of Perth will bring more than 8,000 students and 1,100 staff to our capital city when ECU City opens in 2026. Edith Cowan University’s ECU City will house the world-renowned Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), the WA Screen Academy, the Kurongkurl Katitjin Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research, and creative industries programs, adaptive creative arts studios, design studios, and galleries that will attract and develop local, national and international talent.
Working in partnership with Aboriginal communities, WA Government planning for the flagship Aboriginal Cultural Centre is well underway.
The Aboriginal Cultural Centre has been identified as a major cultural infrastructure need for Western Australia and presents an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate WA’s diverse Aboriginal art and cultures and share them with the nation and the world. Western Australia’s Aboriginal creative and cultural sector is one of the most significant in Australia, yet there exists no wholly dedicated centre which celebrates, explores and strengthens culture. To be opened in 2030, the Aboriginal Cultural Centre will be located on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people in Boorloo (Perth) on the banks of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River). The statewide centre will be a powerful symbol of truth telling, justice, healing, and reconciliation, creating a culturally safe place for Aboriginal people in the state’s capital city. The centre will have performance, gallery/exhibition, education/research, commercial, hosting and community spaces that will play a role in the economic empowerment of Aboriginal people through the growth of creative, cultural, and tourism sectors. The Aboriginal-led project will be developed through meeting with and listening to Aboriginal people and communities, cultural knowledge holders, and language, art and cultural centres across the state in order to work together to connect the many cultural campfires across Western Australia.
Alongside such investment, the WA Government is committed to growing the state’s creative industries as an economic diversification opportunity in Diversify WA, the WA Government’s economic development framework. Globally, governments are looking at the potential of the creative industries to drive sustainable development, secure creative export competitiveness and attract cultural tourists. The recent and ongoing targeted investment by the WA Government in infrastructure, screen and regional arts presents a blueprint to deliver significant investment attraction, economic and social outcomes across the state. Creative WA also plans for a Creative Industries Strategy to grow creative IP, innovation, creative technology and enterprise, with an initial focus on commercially-oriented sectors including fashion, writing, crafts, contemporary music, and authentic Aboriginal art and craft products.
Creative WA outlines the WA Government’s aspirations for the next decade fostering a vibrant, healthy and cohesive Western Australian community, with thriving industries and sectors that increasingly contribute to the prosperity and diversity of the Western Australian economy. It maps our vision, principles, the strategic priorities, initial actions, outcomes and milestones we plan to achieve.
By centring creativity, taking a partnership approach, and prioritising equity and inclusivity, Creative WA imagines a creative boom for WA — growing a sustainable creative ecosystem that will create social and economic benefits beyond the next 10 years.
This snapshot demonstrates the rich cultural and creative landscape that sets us up for success over the next 10 years.
A vibrant, booming and sustainable creative ecosystem that celebrates and supports the highest ambitions of creative endeavour. Our cities and regions are the best places to live, work and learn because everyone can participate and benefit from culture, art and creativity.
Promoting inclusivity, enhancing liveability, empowering Aboriginal peoples and diversifying the economy are current priorities of the WA Government. Creative WA aligns with these priorities by recognising the integral role that culture, art and creativity play in WA’s growth and prosperity, social harmony and community wellbeing. The strategic priorities and spotlight communities outlined in Creative WA, and the investments and initiatives that will follow, are underpinned by 3 guiding principles.
Our everyday interactions with culture, art and creativity nurture, inspire and define us. This includes all forms of creativity, at all points of engagement, wherever they happen across the state. Whether it is part of our education, community activities, volunteering or leading our world-class creative, cultural and arts organisations, Creative WA is our opportunity to improve access to, and participation in, culture, art and creativity for all Western Australians.
Our artists, creative and cultural practitioners are leaders in global markets and local communities. Culture, art and creativity help us make sense of ourselves, our community and the world. They challenge us, entertain us, and remind us of our shared humanity.
Creativity is participatory and interactive, it opens minds, builds intercultural connections, and fosters sustainable development and technological invention. It fuels curiosity and collaboration from everyday life to technological and industrial advancement.
The DLGSC will lead the implementation of Creative WA which will create opportunities to collaborate and deliver positive outcomes with the Australian Government, Creative Australia, other State Government departments as well as Tourism WA, Development WA, Infrastructure WA, Lotterywest and Healthway, Regional Development Commissions, the Heritage Council of WA, local governments, TAFE WA and universities.
Achieving this 10 year vision will require a partnership approach that connects and empowers our broad sector and harnesses growing collaborations. Everyone will have a role, agency and responsibility in helping achieve our shared ambition. For example, the conservation of heritage places and artifacts are beneficial to the creative ecosystem as cultural assets that link to traditional crafts and trades.
Museums and galleries play a vital role in preserving and promoting such cultural heritage and we will continue to work with and support these institutions.
Creative WA will increase opportunities for policy and program decisions about Aboriginal culture, language and art to be made with a co-design approach, and shared decision making.
The DLGSC will work across its divisions and all levels of government to help deliver this expansive vision. This will require ongoing conversations and partnerships with the sector, and collaboration with peak bodies to build additional networks and strategies.
Creative WA acknowledges and values people’s differences and strengths. To achieve equitable outcomes, targeted supports and investments are often required, with the need to remove barriers and improve access and representation to develop a more inclusive WA for us all. This is reflected in the spotlight communities that are central to Creative WA: young people, First Nations peoples, and regional and outer metropolitan communities. More broadly Creative WA celebrates multicultural communities, d/Deaf and disabled people, LGBTQIA+ communities, and other diverse groups that make up our rich cultural landscape.
It is a principle of Creative WA that the spaces in which culture, art and creativity are made, shared and experienced are welcoming and safe.
Our boards and creative workplaces need to be representative of WA’s diverse communities, embracing the benefits that different backgrounds and perspectives bring.
Creative WA supports a creative ecosystem that celebrates the stories of the diverse communities that make up WA. This aligns with goals set out in key Western Australian strategies including A Western Australia for Everyone: State Disability Strategy 2020−2030, Youth Action Plan and the Western Australian Multicultural Policy Framework.26
Creative WA has 3 priority areas that will form the focus of our partnerships, initiatives and investments over the next 10 years. Strategies will prioritise the needs of 3 spotlight communities. These strategic priorities and spotlight communities will grow the social and economic outcomes of the creative, cultural and arts sector for the benefit of all of WA. They will help direct decision-making and resources and provide the building blocks for a thriving creative ecosystem that enriches the lives of all Western Australians.
Central to our creative ecosystem are the people who make up the creative workforce: the artists, arts workers, technicians, and the people who support them. It is essential that we nurture the artists and creative workforce that form the bedrock of our creative ecosystem. In order to achieve this, we must strengthen the creative, cultural and arts sector.
WA’s creative industries have been identified as one of the economic diversification opportunities in Diversify WA, the WA Government’s economic development framework. Creative WA will ensure the state has the skilled human resources it needs for our creative future to guarantee the creative workforce can realise its ambitions and grow.
Creative WA will see us deliver and implement the Screen Industry Strategy, an International Arts Strategy, an Artform Development Policy and a Creative Industries Strategy to deliver, diversify and grow social and economic outcomes in line with Diversify WA. There will also be an infrastructure policy for arts and culture assets that dovetails with arts funding policies. This suite of strategies and policies will incorporate expanding links across existing programs to contribute to whole- of-government outcomes and streamline the communication of across-government opportunities to creative and cultural practitioners and organisations.
This will include collaboration with Creative Australia and Creative Workplaces. Whether people volunteer, are part of our significant ‘gig economy’ or in ongoing employment, artists deserve to be recognised as skilled professionals who provide key contributions to the economy. They deserve fair pay and fair treatment, financially secure and healthy working conditions, and frameworks that are equitable, representative, and culturally safe.
Such an across-government approach to workforce development will safeguard and leverage existing investments in transformative cultural infrastructure projects, which are highly dependent on a strong and skilled cultural workforce. We must fully activate our existing and new cultural facilities to meet the expectations of locals and visitors.
By 2034, we want to build the size and resilience of the creative, cultural and arts sector in all parts of the state, address education pathways and skills gaps, and build the capacity of sector organisations to employ more people on a secure, long- term basis. Growing the creative workforce directly increases our creative technology and knowledge economy sectors, which drives innovation across all industries in WA.
Creative WA celebrates WA’s diverse cultures, places and stories. Our storytellers make an invaluable contribution to community connection, cohesion and identity, as well as to our sense of belonging and pride.
Cultural diversity is undoubtedly one of WA’s greatest strengths. This place is home to the world’s oldest living and continuous Aboriginal cultures, with stories that stretch back 350 million years.27
Nearly 250 languages and dialects are spoken around the state to tell multi-lingual stories in new and traditional ways. WA’s culture, art and creativity are enhanced by our size, geographic location, histories, languages, and closeness to countries in the ASEAN region and the Indian Ocean rim.
Our world-renowned artists are just as likely to live in remote communities as they are in major cities. Of the 8 awards presented at the WA 2022 State Cultural Treasures, 5 artists and one organisation had connections to regional WA.28
Our d/Deaf and disabled artists perform on international stages. Our queer history and culture are showcased in WA Government collections. Our young people have grown up in a digital environment and are redefining art and future cultural engagement.
Nearly all of us — from curious observers to seasoned ticket-holders — engage in culture, art and creativity every single week. In addition, our artists, cultural workers and creative practitioners are creating objects and experiences of this place which are exported all over the world.
Creativity is everywhere and for every single one of us.
Western Australian research has shown that a 2-hour ‘dose’ of creative activity each week can enhance our mental wellbeing.29
Everyone should be able to engage with culture, arts and creativity, regardless of who they are or where they live. We know, however, that not everyone is currently able to do so.
Barriers still exist for people in regional and remote areas, Aboriginal people, children and young people, as well as people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, d/Deaf and disabled people, and others. There are key regional variances in people’s agreement with how easy (or not) it is to access arts and cultural activities across WA, with access easier in metro areas than regional ones. More granular data reveals an unmet demand for access in outer metro areas.
We recognise that equity won’t come from treating everyone equally, but from providing the support and investment needed to give everyone equal access in the long term.
By 2034, we will work with statewide networks to improve cultural infrastructure, build pathways into the sector, grow young people’s engagement with culture, art and creativity and further increase understanding and appreciation of the role culture, art and creativity play in our everyday lives. This will require collaboration with local governments, Regional Development Commissions and other statewide networks.
Three communities have been put in the spotlight as a way of directing decisions and resources over the next 10 years based on need and potential impact. This is not at the exclusion of WA’s many other communities. Creative WA is for all of us.
Seeing creativity through the eyes of young people is vital. How young people view, participate in and value creative endeavours should always be front and centre in what and how we create.
We recognise young people as vital current contributors to, and caretakers of, our creative futures. Building on WA’s existing strengths in youth arts, we will look to establish a dedicated creative precinct where young people can celebrate, experiment with and innovate their artistic practices.
Young people told us they need more opportunities and clearer (and more affordable) pathways for creative learning, participation and careers — including in-school learning and post-school pathways to guide the transition from training to employment in the creative, cultural and arts sector. Increasing the availability, accessibility and affordability of training opportunities will help address current skills gaps within the industry and strengthen our future creative workforce.
There is inherent social value in focusing on young people’s access to creativity given the benefits of arts and culture to mental wellbeing and learning for children and young people.30
We recognise the need to increase the accessibility of the creative, cultural and arts sector for young people, specifically those from traditionally marginalised groups, to help them engage deeper in the arts and expose them to different forms of artistic expression.
Creative WA is built on respect for the First Nations peoples of this country as the state’s first artists, storytellers and custodians of Country, cultures and languages. It will focus on centring Aboriginal participation and leadership at all points of engagement, from grassroots cultural and language maintenance to leadership of our cultural institutions and everything in between. It responds to a clear call from Cultural Elders for culture, language and Country to be recognised as the start of the Aboriginal art supply chain, and the need to protect First Nations cultural practice and practitioners.
This will also feed into WA and Australian Government initiatives to preserve and safeguard First Nations languages and learning across WA, prioritising Aboriginal self-determination, and the incorporation of cultural maintenance activities into new and existing initiatives. This acknowledges a need to address urgent Aboriginal cultural workforce issues, including staffing the new Aboriginal Cultural Centre. This positioning responds to the need to recognise and protect Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property and address the harm caused by fake art and merchandise alongside increasing commercial demand for authentic Aboriginal culture and art. It also recognises national and international opportunities for local Aboriginal artists and creative practitioners.
Creative WA recognises the unique strengths and needs of the regional and outer metropolitan communities across our state. Some of our world-renowned artists access international markets direct from our most remote locations. WA’s regional arts organisations engage regional residents and tourists in world-class cultural and creative experiences.
Access to culture, art and creativity is an essential characteristic of liveable communities, but barriers exist for those living outside larger cities. Over the past few years significant money has been invested into arts and culture through WA Government funding.
This has provided the foundations for growth and stability for the creative, cultural and arts sector in these regions with organisations able to plan strategically and leverage opportunities for collaboration and innovation, rather than surviving project to project. To improve barriers to access and inequality between the city and regions, however, more needs to be done. Creative industries and cultural tourism provide real opportunities to diversify outer metropolitan and regional economies, grow local jobs, promote sustainable growth and innovation, and enhance liveability across WA. Initiatives to achieve this can include increasing access to high quality arts and cultural programs and experiences in regional areas, and professional development, residencies, and exchange opportunities for regional artists.
Growing the resilience of WA’s cultural, arts and creative ecosystem is a key priority in WA’s ongoing recovery from COVID-19.
Implementation of Creative WA will be tracked in 2 key phases: against 5-year outcomes in 2029 and 10-year outcomes in 2034.
The process of developing Creative WA began in September 2023, driven by the need to update the WA Government’s strategy for culture, art and creativity (Strategic Directions 2016-2031) after a time of great instability and global disruption.
The sector responded resoundingly to the consultation, with:
The process was informed by an Arts Leadership Group of industry peers and an extensive literature review and overseen by an across-government working group.
Consultation revealed an unusually high consensus about the priorities for the creative, cultural and arts sector over the next 10 years. There was a shared sense of urgency with a range of key challenges and opportunities identified that require a new way of doing business.
There is demand to build capacity for the whole sector to maximise the value of current investments, to meet and exceed the expectations of our growing current and future population, and to fully realise the social and economic benefits of the sector.
Creative WA reflects this consultation and the current national and global context and considers the possibilities presented.
In a national policy context, Creative WA draws on and endorses Australia’s National Cultural Policy, 'Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place,’ which noted the extraordinary strength and resilience of the sector and identified the need for leadership and momentum to support it to thrive. This alignment with ’Revive‘ creates opportunities to work across all levels of government to achieve better outcomes for everyone.
Diversify WA supports the WA Government’s focus on creating secure, quality jobs, growing and diversifying the economy and attracting international investment to support WA’s economy. The creative industries are identified as a priority sector within Diversify WA. Strategies will grow the screen and immersive technology industries to increase investment and deliver Western Australian content to global audiences.
We will also continue to grow cultural infrastructure to enhance global recognition of WA’s creative industries and drive increased investment and visitation. We will work to increase value in original creative thoughts and processes, craft and the handmade, and the skilled artisans who work in these spaces. In a world of increased automation such skills are likely to be in high demand in the future. Developing the creative industries and growing the cultural, arts and creative workforce will help deliver a sustainable, resilient and diverse economy for Western Australians.
A thriving and visible creative, cultural and arts sector with events year-round adds to WA’s vibrancy and enhances the state’s reputation as the premier place to live, work, study and play. Consultation highlighted the economic benefits from growing opportunities for cultural tourism and diplomacy and building on the success of WA Government tourism strategies including the Jina: Western Australian Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan and the WA Visitor Economy Strategy 2033. The recent creation of an across-government Tourism Investment Committee of Cabinet provides additional opportunities to work strategically.
With international cooperation and engagement returning to pre-pandemic levels, and with the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI) expanding its international network of Trade and Investment offices, this is the time to build future opportunities in international trade, artists exchange and diplomacy.
WA will continue to define its unique identity not by its isolation but by its proximity and connections to new centres of global economic and strategic powers. The success of Creative WA will require adaption to national and global markets and competition, policies and changing regulatory settings, world-wide trends in consumer behaviour, and new and emerging technologies. WA belongs to the most populated time-zone on the planet and enjoys proximity to countries in the ASEAN region and the Indian Ocean rim. There are significant opportunities for cultural diplomacy and to redress WA’s position as a net-importer of creative products and services — a key element of the creative trade deficit. We can build on existing markets for our creative products and services and, with careful research, consultation and collaboration, expand into new markets. This sharing of stories can be for mutual benefit; a good example being the creative partnering of the Simon Lee Foundation with the Art Gallery of Western Australia to establish The Institute of Contemporary Asian Art. WA currently leads Australia in the export of Aboriginal visual arts and is rapidly growing strengths in screen, games and design.
The maintenance and strengthening of Aboriginal cultures are vital for the wellbeing of Aboriginal people, as well as for the prosperity and identity of WA as a whole. Aboriginal leaders continue to tell us about a range of issues impacting the success of Aboriginal cultural and artistic practice across the state. Cultural Elders reiterate a clear call for culture, language and Country to be recognised as the start of the Aboriginal art supply chain, and the need to protect First Nations cultural practice and practitioners before the storytellers – and their stories – disappear.
Creative WA aligns with the principle of culture at the heart, the central commitment of WA’s Aboriginal Empowerment Strategy 2021–2029. Informed by the leadership and wisdom of Aboriginal Elders, artists and communities, and alongside those working in museums and galleries, this 10 year vision will see us walk together towards the state’s bicentenary since colonisation and create opportunities for reflection and reconciliation.
Feedback from the 10 year vision consultation was consistent: there are key gaps within a depleted post-pandemic creative workforce. For those in the creative service industries there are key skills and workforce gaps, while for those working in arts and cultural production there are few available jobs and less growth than the rest of the creative workforce. This reflects a national trend: Australia has a shortage of trained, specialist arts workers and craftspeople. This is particularly significant in WA where the creative workforce only makes up 3.9% of WA’s total workforce, well below the Australian average of 5.9%. These workforce capacity issues restrict opportunities for growth and success across the ecosystem. These issues are particularly acute in areas such as Aboriginal arts and cultural production, live event technical production, curatorial (visual arts and museums) and library roles.
Young people were especially articulate in consultation about the many obstacles to their pursuit of a creative career including reduced pathways, rising education costs and unattractive employment conditions. This reflects the Australian Universities Accord which pointed to inequities in tertiary education, with substantial under-representation of people from disadvantaged groups.31
We also heard from, and about, mid-career professionals who left the creative, cultural and arts sector during the pandemic, some because of increased precarity and burnout.
Workers from galleries, libraries, museums and historical societies reported not feeling reflected in arts and culture strategies or funding.
The creative, cultural and arts sector also emphasised the importance of improved sector communication, collaboration and supported networks.
Artists, cultural workers and creative practitioners should be respected as workers as well as makers and creators — and essential workers at that. Their employment and work conditions are as important as any other industry.
The consultation for Creative WA identified the capacity of our creative workforce as the most urgent and critical issue that will affect Western Australia’s ambitions and performance over the next 10 years. This is also reflected in ‘Revive,’ which includes as pillar 3 the “centrality of the artist: Supporting the artist as worker and celebrating artists as creators”.32
This has also been identified as key in the recent report ‘Artists as Workers: An economic study of professional artists in Australia.33
Digital access to culture, art and creativity increased dramatically in the early years of the pandemic. However, the rush to digital delivery also highlighted gaps in connectivity, skills and access to technology, and issues that are ongoing, particularly in outer metropolitan, regional and remote areas.
Western Australia’s vast distances create hurdles for people living and working regionally and remotely. The state covers an area larger than Western Europe and includes some of the most remote communities in Australia. With such distances, the costs to move products and people around the state have risen exponentially, with freight, travel and accommodation key challenges for the sector and communities. These costs impact connection and engagement within WA. The time required to travel, and costs related to distance, are also a challenge for deeper, ongoing engagement with national and international art markets.
There are, however, opportunities for digital and physical connection through partnerships. Partnerships between State Government, local governments and industry help ensure our cities and towns are vibrant places to work, play and learn. Local governments connect and collaborate with communities across WA and, in 2021−22, invested an average of $72.54 per person in cultural expenditure, the third highest expenditure per person in Australia.
Alongside the integral role of local governments, the WA public library network is the most used of all cultural services in the state, with more than 600,000 active WA members making more than 12.6 million in-person and online visits each year. Public libraries provide a vital service in communities with no other cultural places and provide critical digital connectivity for those who cannot access it by other means.
Making and sharing culture and art requires access to affordable spaces. The Western Australian Cultural Infrastructure Framework 2030+ outlines opportunities for a holistic approach to planning our cultural spaces.
Globally, the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning as a creative tool across art forms and media has been challenging. The long-term impacts of AI are currently unknown with a range of ethical, safety, legal (intellectual property, Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, copyright, privacy, regulation), workforce and productivity issues that pose incredible challenges given the rate of change. The rapid adoption of AI and new technologies is outstripping understanding, indicating a key need for our workforce to upskill to keep up with this pace of development. As with the emergence of previous forms of media, artists are already taking a leading role in exploring new opportunities and specific threats with, and from, AI. Discussion with the creative, cultural and arts sector indicates a diversity and breadth of AI applications with potential for both beneficial and negative implications.
With digital transformation driving significant changes to the global economy there is a need for artists, arts workers and organisations to be flexible, self-directed and able to adapt to evolving technologies.
DLGSC plays a unique role in WA as the only government body with the responsibility for supporting artform development through grants programs and strategic investments. This role remains essential. At a time when the cost of living impacts audiences and productions, taking risks with art can seem precarious. It is essential that we continue to support artistic excellence and innovation to ensure the culture, art and creativity that emerges from WA reflects the unique position of our state.
Investing in building key digital skills will ensure the WA creative workforce has the transferable skills it requires to adapt to a changing future. Investing in fellowships for artists and arts workers at all stages of their careers nurtures sustainable creative careers in WA and the reputation of the sector more broadly through the creation of new works, collaborations, professional development and residencies.
The sector is concerned about its response and responsibilities around the climate crisis. WA is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves, high-risk bushfire weather, extreme rainfall events and rising sea levels. These changes affect our communities, infrastructure, environment and water supplies, and the state’s economy.
Acting on climate change is fundamental to our future as a resilient and creative state. This includes recognising the vital role of culture, art and creativity in giving voice to this challenge, as we rethink what we make, how and when we make it, who with, and the ways we share it with the world.
Creative WA initiatives have been developed with a program logic map that speaks directly to WA Government policy priorities and sector outcomes.
A monitoring and evaluation plan has been developed by DLGSC to assess the implementation of Creative WA against intended outcomes and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the vision’s strategic priorities.
To implement this, DLGSC has created an outcomes framework system that systematically and consistently captures and demonstrates the impact and value of WA Government investment in culture, arts and creativity. The function is embedded within the Online Grants Management System to effectively and efficiently capture and report outcomes of all DLGSC Culture and the Arts funding.
Creative WA outcomes will be evaluated annually and tracked against 5-year milestones and updated regularly in response to changing local and global circumstances.
The aim is that the delivery of Creative WA will be outcomes literate — with programs based on clear outcomes. The creative, cultural and arts sector, too, will become outcomes literate, and develop projects based on community and industry need.
The process will support the development of a long-term vision for culture and the arts investment in WA with clear and simple reporting on the outcomes that DLGSC Culture and the Arts grants programs provide to the WA community.
We will continue to develop our Public Value Measurement Framework and the evaluation plan will include an outcomes framework that will inform ongoing investment.
Information on the Creative WA implementation will be published on the DLGSC website.
Throughout Creative WA we use sector specific language. Explanations of some of the terms we use can be found below.
1. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (nd) What is Intangible Cultural Heritage? Accessed 30 May 2024, https://ich.unesco.org/en/what-isintangible-heritage-00003
2. Sawyer, R., & Henriksen, D. (2024). Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation . Oxford University Press.
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Framework
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