Industry REPORTs

The Australia Council is pleased to partner with the Institute of Community Directors (ICDA) and Our Community to publish the Arts and Culture Governance Spotlight Report. The report highlights the unique nature of our sector but also provides an effective comparison and benchmark with other not-for-profit companies and organisations. The research validates our understanding of the current state of governance in the arts and highlights new insights about governance practices that we should respond to. The report reinforces that what we face in the arts is felt across the not-for-profit sector.

The Australia Council partnered with ICDA in 2017, delivering a tailor-made training and networking program to enhance arts governance in Australia. The program tackled some of the big questions of arts governance. The aim was to provide arts managers and directors with a better understanding of how boards can best serve, support and steward their organisation – enabling it to thrive. Over the past three years, we’ve held multiple workshops across the country, engaging with over 1100 people both in-person and online through our webinar series.

Ensuring the sustainability of arts organisations is vital to a creatively connected nation. Our cultural and creative sectors are facing significant forces of change and evolution. It is no longer possible to rely on traditional business models, modes of operation or engagement. To ensure the creative sector thrives in this evolving landscape, we are supporting the sector to continually adapt to industry change; to realise the potential of diversity; and to actively cultivate creativity and innovation.

Strong arts governance is critical to achieving this goal. Having robust organisations will ensure this sustainability.

We encourage arts organisations, boards, and arts managers to reflect on what the findings of this new research means to them. How could you use this report as a benchmark for your governance practices and where do you need to make enhancements?