Launching at Plunge Festival on Thursday 10 April
Discover the creative heartbeat of the Northern Rivers! Our region has the highest concentration of creatives outside Sydney, and now, for the first time in over 15 years, we have the data to prove it.
Join us for the highly anticipated launch of the Who We Are profile paper on the renowned Northern Rivers Creative Industries. After two years of in-depth research by Arts Northern Rivers and Patternmakers, the findings are in—offering a groundbreaking look at our region’s thriving Creative Industries sector.
At this free event, Jane Fuller, Executive Director of Arts Northern Rivers, and Tandi Palmer Williams, Director of Patternmakers, will unveil key insights that define our creative landscape. This is your chance to connect with fellow creatives, gain fresh perspectives, and explore what makes our arts community so dynamic.
Be part of the conversation. Be part of the future. Don’t miss this milestone moment!
About the Research
In 2024, we undertook important new research to find out what our creative community looks like today – and where we want it to grow in the future.
What did we do?
We gathered information about our arts and culture sector from a range of different places, including:
- in-depth one-on-one interviews with stakeholders across the sector
- collating data from available sources such as the ABS; publications related to arts, culture, tourism, industry and community; previous research and consultation conducted in the Northern Rivers; grant applications and acquittal data
- holding a region-wide anonymous online survey of the community.
What are we doing with this information?
Once we completed our research, we then analysed and interpreted the findings and will deliver them back to the community in a range of different formats, such as a detailed report aimed at government and more summarised fact sheets about each LGA and on key topics that emerge, aimed at the public.
We will share solid evidence to inform arts and culture strategy and planning at all levels of decision-making and help pave the way for delivering some real outcomes for our arts and culture communities and their audiences in the region.
For us at Arts Northern Rivers, it will help us understand what artists and audiences in our region need in order for our arts and culture industry to thrive for the next 5-10 years.
Why is this needed?
Our aim in conducting this research is to gain a detailed understanding of the current state of the arts and culture industries in the Northern Rivers, and also understand the challenges, needs, and priorities of our artists and audiences. We are hoping to also demonstrate the value of the arts and culture sector to our community, economy, tourism, cultural heritage, health and wellbeing, and more, making this a really important tool for arts advocacy.
Having an accurate picture of our creative ecosystem is important to ensure support goes to the right places. The information we collect is going to be available for us all to use.
Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to hear about the results when they are published.
Questions?
For any questions on this project, please contact admin@artsnorthernrivers.com.au
