The Case for Arts and Culture

Advocating for arts and culture…sounds easy, but is it really?

You may have heard the catchcry: "Advocate for the arts and culture!", but what does this mean?

Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes and decisions on public policy and resource allocation within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. It can be undertaken individually or in a group. [Alternative words for advocate are: campaigner, sponsor, champion.]

Creating influence 
The key to gaining support for arts and culture starts with laying a foundation of understanding.

How do we do this?  We make the material we present both meaningful and strategic. 

Gathering information and statistics on the arts and culture sector is important, but data alone doesn’t tell the story.  We need to put information and data into context. 

The following information is useful for advocating a case for arts and culture:

1. Broad comparative research on the psychological, social and economic outcomes of arts and culture  investment. Don't panic -  we hope to provide you with some basic key facts (please share research findings by contacting the policy officer)
2. Contextual data – creating links across sectors. Collecting data on how many people attended a festival is good, but what about the broader community benefits such as employment, visitor accommodation and hospitality usage?
3. Specific community studies/stories on the way communities have developed through the inclusion of arts and culture within council agendas.

Community studies are the most important way to create ‘meaning’ for the receiver.  This is also important when describing: a sense of belonging, pride of place, and community connectedness, particularly for indigenous cultures. (Jon Hawkes Four Pillars of Sustainability Culture's Essential Role in Public Planning, 2001)
 
Research shows that planners and economic developers are cynical about the interpretation of arts and cultural data, but are receptive to stories about positive community outcomes. (M Christine Dwyer, Communication Value: Reframing Arts and Culture Data, RMC Research Corporation, 2008)
 
Finding and sharing

1. seek out stories:

• the best stories are those closest to home as they will have the greatest meaning
• trace how a community has been revitalised through arts and cultural programming (usually longitudinal studies are the best: 6-8 years)
• gather local information and data that can be used in story telling.

2. share research findings:

• use research findings or examples from other communities that highlight benefits of arts and culture in building community capacity.

3. data collection:

• collect specific data within your region that will show links across sectors (e.g. employment, visitor stays during a festival)
• record the arts and cultural activities in your area (how many: formal and informal spaces and places; heritage areas; education programs; participants; artists; creative businesses etc.)

We hope to provide you with a range of arts and culture data and studies that will support “a case for arts and culture”.

Other items of interest:
Queensland Arts and Culture Case Studies
Case studies showcasing exceptional work occurring in Queensland, and providing insights into the strategic learning of artists and organisations. The case studies cover areas such as community participation, quality and delivery of services and programs, and can be searched according to art form, location and topic.