The cultural and creative industries are defined as those areas of practice that turn original individual creativity into social and commercial outcomes.
They draw on Western Australia’s unique identity to produce new artistic, cultural and aesthetic-functional products and services for local, national and international markets.
The creative economy can be understood through analysis of the creative workforce. The creative economy consists of specialist creative workers and support workers employed in creative industries, as well as creative workers embedded in other industries.
The most recent analysis of Western Australia’s creative economy was the WA Creative Industries: An Economic Snapshot report, commissioned by DLGSC in 2019. It included data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016 and Labour Force Survey.
In 2013 DLGSC commissioned analysis of the 2011 Census employment data and published the Creative Industries Statistical Analysis for Western Australia report.
The two reports and a factsheet from 2013 are available below.
The DLGSC has partnered in the delivery of several Australia Research Council projects. The most recent projects are:
The project investigated factors producing local and regional creative ‘hotspots’ in Australia. ‘Hotspots’ are locations that have well above average creative and innovative growth and potential. The research combined population-level statistical analysis with interviews with local creatives. The project was led by the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Newcastle. DLGSC was a partner on the project along with Arts Queensland, Create NSW, Creative Victoria, and Arts South Australia. Reports and factsheets are available below.
The Australia-wide study explored the conditions and strategies needed for musicians to sustain successful portfolio careers. The project found the vast majority of Australian musicians’ careers consist of a variety of concurrent and often impermanent roles. The project was led by Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre (QCRC). DLGSC was an industry partner along with the Australian Council for the Arts, Create NSW, Creative Victoria, and the Music Trust, and institutional partner Curtin University. Reports and factsheets are available below and on the Making Music Work website.