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Executive summary

Art and culture continue to be of high importance to the community.

• 86% agree  the Western Australian Government should invest in arts and culture to ensure they are available to the public.
• 93% agree  it is important for school children to have access to arts and culture  as part of their education.

Perceptions of individual and community value remains high.

When asked ‘how valuable is the role of arts and culture in your life’, the value index score is 67 out of 100.

• The value index score has remained steady over the past five years.
• Perceived value is highest in Perth’s western suburbs and lowest in the Goldfields-Esperance region.
• Perceived value is lower among males and those with a child aged 0-5 years.
• Personal value increases with level of education.

Arts and culture have a valuable role in the community with a value index score of 78.

• The value index score has remained steady over the past five years.
• Community value is highest among Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, and females.
• By location, perceived value is highest in Perth’s western suburbs and the Wheatbelt region. It is lowest in the South West region.

Most people believe the arts benefit the broader community, not just those who participate.

21% agree that “the arts only helps those people who participate, not the broader community”.

• The agreement index score is 38, up 2 points from last year.
• Females, and people who live in the Pilbara region and Perth’s western suburbs are less likely to agree. They are more likely to think the arts does help the broader community.

Most believe arts and culture contribute to WA’s sense of community and identity.

When asked ‘how valuable is the contribution of arts and culture to your sense of community in WA’, the value index score is 73, an increase of 2 points over the past 12 months.

• The value index score is higher among those who mainly speak a language other than English at home.
• By location, the value index score is highest in the Wheatbelt region and Perth’s western suburbs. It is lowest in the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions.

When asked ‘how valuable is the contribution of arts and culture to the identity of the state’, the value index score is 72, a decrease of 1 point over the past 12 months.

• The value index score is highest among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those who mainly speak a language other than English at home, and people with disability.
• By location, the value index score is highest in the Wheatbelt and Gascoyne regions. It is lowest in the Goldfields-Esperance region.
  

The arts continue to make people feel good.

The agreement index score is 78, on par with recent years.

• Level of agreement is higher among people with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• By location, perceived value is highest in Perth’s western suburbs, followed by the Wheatbelt region. It is lowest in the Goldfields-Esperance region.

Easy access to art and culture for most, but the gap between metro and regional WA remains.

The ease of access index score is back to a high of 68, with marginal increases of 1 point per year over the past two years.

• It is easier to access arts and cultural activities in Perth’s inner and western suburbs and most difficult in the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions.
• Ease of access improves with higher levels of education and income and is more difficult among those with disability or impairments.

Annual participation in the arts is recovering post COVID-19.

78% of respondents participated in an arts and cultural activity over the past 12 months, up by 4% points.

• After falling to a low of 73% participation in 2021 following the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions, participation rates are moving up.

Frequent participation, where respondents attended activities at least once a month over summer, is more common in Perth’s western and inner suburbs and increases with higher levels of education and income.

• Age appears to be a barrier for attendance, with participation rates dropping after the age of 55 years.
• In the regions, frequent participation is highest in the Pilbara region and lowest in the Gascoyne region.

Interest in the content remains the main motivator for participating in art and cultural activities.

Motivators vary across different groups in the population.

• Older people are most likely to be motivated by their interest in the content, while younger adults and families with children aged 0 to 17 years are more likely to be motivated by having fun.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people born overseas share a primary driver of being interested in the content; however, secondary drivers vary. People born overseas are more likely to be motivated by experiencing new things and having fun, while supporting the cultural world is more important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• The primary motivator for people who mainly speak a language other than English at home is interacting with family and friends.
• Respondents earning more than $150,000 are mainly motivated by experiencing new things, interacting with family and friends, and having fun. Respondents in lower income brackets are most likely to participate in arts and culture activities because they are interested in the content.

Government and corporate support are considered to be essential for the arts.

Only 18% of respondents agree with the statement ‘all theatre, ballet and opera companies and public art galleries, etc should rely on their tickets sales alone’.

• People who live in Perth’s western suburbs and the Kimberley region, those with higher levels of education and females are more likely to disagree that arts companies should rely on ticket sales alone.

81% of respondents would be prepared to contribute more money to expand provision of and access to arts and culture.

• 54% of respondents believe the Western Australian Government’s allocation of $2.12 per person per week for arts and culture is too low.
• 46% of respondents would be prepared to pay more than $2 extra per person per week. A further 35% would be willing to pay up to $2 more per week.

The perceived value of the WA film and television industry remains high.

74% of respondents rate the value of the film and television industry highly.

• The value index score has remained consistent at 75 over the past 12 months.
• Perceived value is highest among those who live in Perth’s inner south suburbs, people with disability, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It increases with age and is higher among people on lower levels of income.

Perceived ease of accessing WA film and TV remains moderate.

Only 40% of respondents consider it easy to access WA produced film and television productions, providing a rating of 4 or 5 out of 5.

• The overall ease of access index score is 54 points, an increase of 2 points over the past 12 months.
• Ease of access ratings are highest among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those with an annual income of $30,001 - $75,000, among younger adults aged 17-34 years, and respondents with lower levels of education.
• Across WA, it is easiest to access WA film and TV in the Great Southern and Peel regions and most difficult in the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions.