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South Australians are known for their love of the arts. They represent some of the most committed attendees of live events or festivals across the nation – The Australia Council for the Arts National Arts Participation Survey found 99% of people in the State engage in the Arts, 72% attend live events, including festivals, music, literary events, dance and theatre, First Nations arts and visual arts and crafts. It should come as no surprise, then, that the way South Australians value arts and culture reflects a broad and empathetic understanding of how personal creativity and expression make for a richer and more meaningful life.
The South Australian Government, through Arts South Australia, has an Arts & Culture Plan South Australia 2019 – 2024. Goals of the Plan include: Goal 1 – ‘To promote the role of arts and culture in enriching the lives of all South Australians’; Goal 2 – ‘To empower South Australia’s makers and creators’ and Goal 4 – ‘To amplify South Australia’s signature strengths that define the character of the arts in the State’.
Furthermore, the government through both Arts South Australia and the Department for Industry, Innovation and Science, recognises the state’s creative industries for the economic powerhouses which create jobs and exports, attract investment, drive innovation, entertain audiences, boost tourism, enhance our wellbeing and showcase our unique culture to the world. Festivals (creative and cultural) are one of the ten sectors of South Australia’s creative industries.
Aside from the economic activity generated by attendance to events, festivals play an important role contributing to South Australia’s cultural identity and in supporting and sustaining South Australia’s creative industries — a key sector for the state.
Adelaide’s festivals contribute to the stock of ‘cultural capital’ within South Australia by promoting wider participation in cultural and creative activities. Cultural capital is defined as the set of assets which contribute to cultural value — this might include distinctive Adelaide buildings and locations, South Australian artworks and artefacts, as well as intangibles such as the ideas, traditions and values which can bind a community together. Adelaide’s festivals add to South Australia’s stock of cultural capital by contributing to this atmosphere, encouraging residents to participate in a ‘shared calendar of activity’ throughout the year. For example, in Adelaide this is seen in the way that the arts take over the city during the summer season, bringing together South Australia’s largest cluster of artists and creative businesses in a highly visible demonstration of the creativity and vibrancy which can be found within the state.
Adelaide’s festivals positively contribute to employment in South Australia. In 2018, it is estimated that Adelaide’s festivals had a contribution of 1,025 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs.
Adelaide’s festivals can provide a unique platform for the development and employment of South Australia’s creative talent. By providing entry to all who wish to participate, regardless of skill level or art form, open access festivals offer a uniquely inclusive and accessible platform for South Australian artists. Artists are given the chance to develop their creative skills and intellectual property in a professional setting, whilst being exposed to a national audience and media attention — and potentially earning income if their show is successful. For example, from a survey of artists participating in the Adelaide Fringe, Caust finds that many regard participation in the festival as a form of professional development, particularly for emerging artists. Some artists described the Fringe as an important ‘launching pad’ for their careers. The regular and predictable nature of Adelaide’s festival calendar may also assist artists by spreading opportunities for work throughout the year. Similarly, artists participating in SALA have observed that the open access nature of the festival meant they felt included and acknowledged, and able to participate regardless of existing skill level. The chance to receive feedback from other artists was also regarded as important for their career development.
More broadly, artist development is not limited to open access festivals. Festivals which commission work from South Australian artists, such as OzAsia and Adelaide Festival, also enable local artists to gain experience. DreamBIG, for example, regularly commissions work from local theatre companies, with the 2019 festival featuring Fear Not by Prospect Youth Theatre, A Hymn to the Hateful by Adelaide High School’s Running with Scissors Theatre Company, and Seashore by Sally Chance Dance, among others. These commissions, which sometimes tour nationally, may help to develop the next generation of artists.
Festival attendance may even be linked to an increased engagement with the arts after the festival, particularly among non-university educated consumers. In a study of the Tasmanian winter festival Dark Mofo, Franklin observed that 62.8 percent of non-university educated attendees to the Festival visited the neighbouring Mona museum after their trip, with 49 per cent becoming regulars at the museum. While this is lower than the attendance rate among university educated attendees, it is significantly higher than the mere 20 percent of non-university educated Australians who attended an art gallery in 2009-10. Adelaide’s festivals play a role in encouraging a broader range of South Australians to engage in culture and the arts, expanding these benefits throughout the broader population. SALA Festival, for example, engages school aged children through its school exhibitions, of which 40 were registered in 2019.
